2026 will be the year agent armies awaken
Waters Wrap: Several AI experts have recently said that the next 12 months will see significant progress for agentic AI. Are capital markets firms ready for this shift from generative AI to agents?
At a conference last March, Symon Garfield, Microsoft’s director of capital markets and digital strategy, had this to say: “Generative AI is completely passé. It’s two years old now; everybody’s doing it. This is the year of agentic AI.”
While the word passé—adjective: past one’s prime; behind the times—might be a bit hyperbolic, agentic AI certainly did grab the headlines in 2025. For proof, Ethan Mollick, the famed AI researcher, author, and professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton
Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@waterstechnology.com or view our subscription options here: https://subscriptions.waterstechnology.com/subscribe
You are currently unable to print this content. Please contact info@waterstechnology.com to find out more.
You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@waterstechnology.com to find out more.
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (point 2.4), printing is limited to a single copy.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@waterstechnology.com
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (clause 2.4), an Authorised User may only make one copy of the materials for their own personal use. You must also comply with the restrictions in clause 2.5.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@waterstechnology.com
More on Emerging Technologies
Quants like Andrew Ang are making the case for AI agents
AI agents can boost human managers by analyzing investments, risks and portfolio choices at scale
Stuck in the sandbox: Why bank stablecoin projects struggle to get off the ground
Five years after a wave of banks announced stablecoin ambitions, most projects remain stuck in testing. WatersTechnology spoke to more than 25 experts to find out why an increasingly mature technology has yet to translate into production-grade bank infrastructure.
Northern Trust details its AI strategy
CEO Michael O’Grady says the firm’s strategy is anchored in hyper-personalization, AI-generated alpha, and infinite scalability.
The race to ‘financialize’ GPU compute set to ratchet up
The Waters Wrap: Anthony looks at two companies aiming to bring efficiency and transparency to the GPU compute market.
Deutsche Börse invests $200M in Kraken, DTCC advances cloud strategy, and more
A recap of this week’s major tech and data news in the capital markets.
Waters Wavelength Ep. 350: AI but make it about data basics
This week, Tony and Shen discuss how it’s all about getting back to basics, aka the data.
Model risk in the age of generative AI
Banks are racing to understand the risks posed by a new breed of multi-purpose bots.
Morgan Stanley participating in Anthropic’s Claude Mythos testing
The bank is one of the select few granted access to the hyperscaler’s latest model.
