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Building a more effective FinCrime program in the age of AI

Jay Blandford
October 21, 2026
0 min read

Recognize FinCrime fighters of today while building for tomorrow 

Abrigo CEO Jay Blandford says National Financial Crime Fighter Day (October 26) is a chance

Blandford

for leaders to appreciate today's financial crime fighters and explore how to strengthen the next generation of professionals.

This article covers these key topics: 

National Financial Crime Fighter Day: October 26

Preparing the next generation of professional financial crime fighters is both a technology and a talent challenge. With suspicious activity growing more complex, investigators need useful tools alongside connected data and practical experience so they can recognize patterns and protect against constantly changing threats.

National Financial Crime Fighter Day (October 26), established by Abrigo in 2018, is an opportunity to recognize the professionals doing this work today and consider how leaders can build bench strength for the years ahead.

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Staffing pressures put AML/CFT and fraud expertise at risk

As I talk with leaders of financial institutions of all sizes, I hear a consistent focus on preparing their teams for what’s ahead. Workload and capacity are familiar pressures, and they’re common challenges for anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) and fraud teams, too. In Abrigo’s recent FinCrime User Group survey, 30% of respondents identified limited staffing or specialized expertise as their team’s biggest challenge, and 20% cited too many alerts, cases, or investigations.

The broader compliance workforce also faces succession pressures. In a separate industry survey of financial institutions, 24% of respondents said up to a quarter of their institution’s compliance staff could become eligible for retirement within five years. Another 9% said more than half could be eligible within five years. AML/CFT and fraud professionals are part of the compliance workforce, so the findings raise a practical question for leaders: When teams already struggle to investigate high-volume, complex financial activity, how can they share critical knowledge and give newer professionals the coaching and practice they need?

AI is changing parts of the work of FinCrime professionals

While we know financial criminals are using AI for attacks, AI’s effect on day-to-day work to prevent FinCrime is still developing. In Abrigo’s survey, one in five respondents said AI has reduced manual or repetitive work. But many FinCrime fighters say they aren’t using AI, haven’t seen it change their work, or believe it’s too early to assess the effect.

Institutions and technology companies are still assessing where AI creates capacity and how much staff time it may free up. But as leaders consider technology improvements, they can focus on areas where reduced manual effort could give staff more room for complex analysis and experience-based judgment. Abrigo has taken a similar approach as we have developed AI-powered solutions: looking for ways to address processes that are time-consuming, highly manual, and frustrating, while keeping staff involved in the decisions and activities that call for their judgment.

I believe AI is more likely to change the work of entry-level professionals than eliminate the need for them altogether. Instead of spending most of their time handling manual-intensive tasks, such as pulling customer account details and financial transaction histories for senior employees to analyze, junior FinCrime staff could review information assembled by technology, check whether it’s complete and accurate, and begin the analysis. Shifting entry-level workers’ duties could give them opportunities to build investigative skills, assuming institutions provide the right coaching and oversight.

New employees still need to learn how to spot suspicious activity, how to understand it in the context of a customer and the institution’s risks, how to work across teams, and when to ask for help. As leaders consider how technology will affect their teams, they can make room for developing staff experience through practice, feedback, and exposure to more complex work.

Practical questions for leaders

A few questions can help leaders bring these decisions into focus:

  • Which parts of FinCrime work require the most experienced judgment?
  • Is knowledge critical to protecting the institution concentrated among one or two employees?
  • Is there repetitive or administrative work that could be reduced using technology?
  • How will newer staff learn to assess system outputs and take on more complex investigations?
  • Do experienced staff have the time and clearly defined roles for coaching and quality review?

Technology, staffing, training, and governance decisions already play a role in equipping teams for current demands. Those decisions will also shape whether incoming staff can maintain compliance and protect customers or members.

Risk and resources determine the staffing playbook

FinCrime compliance starts with understanding an institution’s unique risk profile, tied to its customers, products, services, and delivery channels. That understanding can guide decisions about staffing, technology, training, and oversight. Each institution will have a different playbook based on its risks and resources, but leaders can bring those choices together around a shared goal: helping teams continue to do careful, consistent work as financial crime evolves

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The information, content and materials provided through this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal advice. Customers should consult with their legal counsel regarding the application of laws and regulations to their specific circumstances.

About the Author

Jay Blandford

Chief Executive Officer
Abrigo
Jay Blandford, Chief Executive Officer of Abrigo, has blended a start-up work ethic with game-changing processes to scale companies’ revenue engines and deliver dynamic results over 20+ years. With the organization since 2016, Jay previously served as President of Sageworks. His prior experience includes EVP of Sales and Business Development

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About Abrigo

Abrigo enables U.S. financial institutions to support their communities through technology that fights financial crime, grows loans and deposits, and optimizes risk. Abrigo's platform centralizes the institution's data, creates a digital user experience, ensures compliance, and delivers efficiency for scale and profitable growth.

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