The Bank of England is moving to draw up new rules for so-called agentic artificial intelligence in the financial system, according to Reuters, which reported that the central bank's Breeden signaled fresh oversight is coming.
Agentic AI refers to systems that can act with a degree of autonomy — making decisions and carrying out tasks rather than simply answering questions or generating text. As firms across banking and finance experiment with this newer generation of tools, regulators are weighing how much independence such systems should be allowed and what guardrails they require.
AI News similarly reported that the Bank of England is reviewing its AI rules specifically to address agentic AI in finance. Taken together, the two reports point to the same development: a central bank beginning to shape policy for a technology that is still emerging.
The available reporting flags the direction of travel rather than a finished rulebook. Breeden's comments were described as a signal of new rules to govern the technology, suggesting the Bank is at the stage of setting expectations and reviewing its existing framework rather than publishing final requirements.
Why it matters: as banks and financial firms hand more decision-making to autonomous AI, how a major central bank chooses to regulate it could set a template for managing risk — and influence how quickly the technology spreads through the money system that ordinary people rely on.