Trends in AI finance: From new markets to electronic signatures

By 2026, Artificial Intelligence in the financial sector will no longer be a testing ground but will have become an ally in banking operations. The convergence of Artificial Intelligence, big data processing and new digital markets has redefined the relationship between customers and financial institutions. However, it is worth asking: where does legal certainty and trust fit into an environment where transactions take place at high speed and cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to anticipate? In this article, we analyse the major trends in AI finance and how advanced electronic signatures can shape security and compliance in the digital age.

3 key trends in AI finance

Although there are several trends emerging in AI finance, we can highlight three main areas:

• Adoption of AI agents: You may have noticed that when you visit virtually any website, there is usually an AI agent in the bottom corner ready to answer (in principle) any queries you may have. However, beyond purely advisory models, some autonomous AI agents have the capacity to make decisions within the limits set by the company: they are capable of executing trading orders or managing brokerage transactions.
• Generative AI and predictive analytics: Generative AI has evolved to enable the interpretation and large-scale synthesis of unstructured data (regulatory reports, macroeconomic trends, global news). When combined with predictive analytics, it enables financial institutions to carry out ultra-granular credit risk assessments, simulate financial stress scenarios and detect patterns of fraud or money laundering before they occur.
• Hyper-personalisation of services and customers: Thanks to the intensive use of data, banks can offer the products that best suit each customer’s needs.

The electronic signature as a trust anchor in the age of AI

Companies that fail to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into their processes and workflows may gradually lose ground in terms of competitiveness. However, with the recent wave of cyberattacks sweeping through the sector – which are becoming increasingly frequent, sophisticated and difficult to detect – there is one tool that guarantees legal authenticity in financial transactions: the advanced and qualified electronic signature.

Compliance with eIDAS and relevant international standards

Viafirma complies with the most stringent international standards in the field of digital trust and electronic signatures, strictly aligning itself with the European eIDAS Regulation (and its successor, eIDAS 2) to offer solutions with full international legal validity.

Traceability and algorithmic auditing

Every document signed using Viafirma’s digital solutions generates a cryptographic fingerprint backed by qualified time stamps, ensuring that the document cannot be altered after signing.

Furthermore, at the end of the process, an evidential document is generated that includes all the information relating to the document’s signing process:

• General document details
• Information on the issuer and applicant
• Types of electronic signature used
• Electronic evidence added

Identification and authentication mechanisms

Do you remember the surge in cyberattacks we mentioned earlier? Whilst it may not be possible to stop them entirely, it is possible to adopt measures that protect us against them and act as a sort of ‘filter network’.

Viafirma offers various mechanisms designed to identify and authenticate the signatory on an application, depending on the type of signature chosen, ranging from OTP codes (SMS/email) to identity verification.