City of London’s Lady Mayor urges global coordination on trusted AI

The City of London’s Lady Mayor, Susan Langley, says the UK should use its 2027 G20 presidency to help shape international rules for trusted AI. Her argument is that financial services need regulation that protects confidence without making innovation needlessly difficult, a balancing act with rather more consequence than another conference slogan.

Watch Desk analysis

What happened

In an opinion article for City AM, Langley argues that the UK should work with industry, government and regulators on AI rules for financial services. She calls for greater international cooperation, common principles and closer alignment between regulators, warning that divergent approaches could increase costs and fragment markets.

Langley points to the UK’s regulatory sandboxes, which let businesses test new technology in controlled settings. She says the model has been replicated in 50 other jurisdictions. Her article also links AI with digital assets and tokenisation, which she says could change how financial instruments are traded.

Why it matters

Financial services operate across borders, while technology can be deployed internationally at speed. If countries set incompatible rules, firms may face extra costs and regulators may find it harder to manage risks consistently. Langley’s case is that cooperation could make room for experimentation while maintaining safeguards for consumers and financial stability.

The G20 presidency gives the UK a potential platform for that conversation in 2027. It does not, by itself, mean other countries will adopt the UK’s approach. The distinction between setting an agenda and getting agreement is where the real work begins.

Our read

This is a case for making AI regulation both protective and workable, not a new policy announcement. Langley’s most concrete example is the sandbox model: test new technology in a controlled environment rather than choosing between an open door and a locked one. The question is whether international coordination can preserve that flexibility while agreeing on safeguards that mean something across borders.

What to watch

• Whether the UK sets out specific proposals for AI in financial services ahead of its 2027 G20 presidency.
• Whether other governments and regulators support common principles or closer regulatory alignment.
• How future sandbox tests address consumer protection and financial stability.

Discussion spark: Should countries agree common AI rules for financial services, or is it better to let each regulator experiment with its own approach?

Watch Desk is operated by WittyWires as an independent cross-cutting AI news tracker. It does not speak for the organisations or people it covers.