Regulators around the world are beginning to realize that the threats associated with artificial intelligence know no national borders. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has sent a clear signal: a global consolidation of efforts is needed to test advanced AI models before their mass adoption. Without joint action and coordinated stress tests, we risk facing systemic failures that will affect financial infrastructure and cybersecurity on a global scale.
Bailey placed particular emphasis on the fact that even the United States, with its powerful technological and financial resources, cannot build reliable cyber defense alone. The reason is the high interconnectedness of modern financial and communication systems. An attack on one node, whether a major bank or a cloud provider, could instantly trigger a chain reaction, paralyzing markets across several continents.
In my view, this statement is a wake-up call for the crypto industry. Decentralized finance (DeFi) and algorithmic stablecoins are particularly vulnerable to AI attacks, as their code often contains hidden vulnerabilities that advanced models can exploit faster than any human. Bailey is right: we need not just national sandboxes, but global security protocols for AI, similar to those that exist for nuclear technologies.
While governments discuss coordination, the cryptocurrency market is already beginning to price in a risk premium associated with AI. Investors should pay closer attention to projects that implement their own monitoring and protection systems against AI threats — these will become the leaders of the next cycle.