EP2 - Lessons from 20 Years in AML: can Banks Keep Up with Criminals? Financial Crime, Sanctions and AI: What Comes Next for Compliance?

Conductors – AI Against Financial Crime | Can banks keep up with financial criminals?Financial crime has become a global issue that sits at the intersection of compliance, geopolitics, national security, and technology. While AI is transforming many industries, financial institutions still face the same fundamental challenges they have struggled with for decades: keeping up with increasingly sophisticated criminals.In this episode of Conductors – AI Against Financial Crime, Tamás Sváb, CEO of Consortix, sits down with Sven Stumbauer, financial crime and AML expert, former regulator, and author of The Next Wave of Global Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement.With more than 20 years of experience across 150+ institutions in over 60 countries, Sven shares remarkable real-world stories from the frontlines of anti-money laundering, discusses the growing geopolitical role of financial crime enforcement, and explains why AI alone will not solve compliance challenges.The conversation explores the expanding power of FinCEN, the effectiveness of sanctions, the future role of AMLA in Europe, and the ongoing debate around AI, transaction monitoring, and the evolution of AML teams.From cartel-linked investigations in Latin America to the future of AI-powered compliance, this episode offers a unique perspective on where financial crime prevention stands today—and where it is heading next.🎧 If you want a practical, experience-driven perspective on financial crime, regulation, and the future of compliance, this episode is for you.🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:00:00 – Welcome and Sven Stumbauer’s journey into AML02:00 – The Guatemala banking scandal and a real-world investigation07:00 – FinCEN actions against Mexican banks and their consequences10:00 – Financial crime, cartels, and national security13:00 – Do sanctions really work?14:30 – AMLA and the future of AML regulation in Europe17:00 – US vs. European enforcement approaches20:00 – The evolution of transaction monitoring systems22:00 – AI in AML: reality versus hype25:00 – Successful and failed AI implementation examples29:00 – Will AI replace AML investigators?32:00 – Build vs. buy: the future of AML technology37:00 – Why fraud and AML still operate separately39:00 –Will financial institutions ever catch up with criminals?43:00 – Quick takes: AI, crypto, FinCEN, and the future of AML47:00 – Final predictions and closing thoughts👍 If you found this episode valuable, don’t forget to:● Like and share the episode● Subscribe for upcoming conversations on AI against financial crime● Leave a comment with your thoughts on the future of AML and compliance🔗 Useful links:● Consortix website: [https://www.consortix.com/]● Consortix blog: [https://www.consortix.com/blog]● Consortix Aurora - Agentic AI in AML [https://www.consortix.com/aurora]● SAS AML solutions: [https://www.consortix.com/financial-crime]