In a January 10, 2025 speech to the American Bar Association, then-Vice Chairman Travis Hill set out the agenda he would pursue as Acting Chairman, including 'a shift in supervisory attitude towards new technology.' He called for reinvigorating the FDiTech innovation lab, hiring staff with hands-on technology experience, and having the FDIC consider additional guidance on fintech partnerships, artificial intelligence, and digital assets and tokenization. The April 2026 model risk revision is the first AI-relevant deliverable from that agenda.
| Document | Hill 'Charting a New Course' speech — Charting a New Course: Preliminary Thoughts on FDIC Policy Issues |
| Issued by | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
| Type | Speech |
| Status | Final |
| Published | Jan 10, 2025 |
| Applies to | Statement of policy direction; no direct obligations |
| Official source | fdic.gov ↗ |
| Use cases | AI governance (general) · Generative & agentic AI · Third-party & vendor AI |
What are the key points of Hill 'Charting a New Course' speech?
- Delivered January 10, 2025 at the ABA Banking Law Committee meeting, ten days before Hill became Acting Chairman.
- Criticized the abandonment of FDiTech and called for its rejuvenation.
- Listed AI, fintech partnerships, and digital assets/tokenization as topics for additional FDIC guidance.
- Argued the FDIC should lay out expectations 'clearly and transparently on the front end' rather than regulating fintech partnerships through enforcement actions.
- Paired with a broader supervision-reform agenda focused on material financial risk rather than process.
What did Hill 'Charting a New Course' speech change for banks?
It marked the FDIC's turn from a cautious, enforcement-led posture on bank-fintech and AI arrangements to an openly innovation-friendly one, and it is the origin of the expectation that FDIC AI guidance is coming.
What did Travis Hill say about AI?
He identified AI as one of several areas — with fintech partnerships and digital assets — where the FDIC should consider issuing additional guidance, and called for reviving the FDiTech lab and hiring staff with hands-on technology experience.
Has the FDIC issued AI guidance since?
Not AI-specific guidance. The concrete action so far is the April 17, 2026 revised interagency model risk management guidance (FIL-15-2026), which excludes generative and agentic AI from scope.
| Date | Document | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2026 | Hill House oversight testimony (Jun 2026) — Statement of Chairman Travis Hill: Oversight of Prudential Regulators | Final |
| Apr 17, 2026 | FDIC FIL-15-2026 — Agencies Revise the Interagency Model Risk Management Guidance | In force |
| Mar 26, 2026 | FDIC House testimony on AI and innovation (Mar 2026) — Innovation at the Speed of Markets: How Regulators Keep Pace with Technology | Final |
| Jul 14, 2025 | FDIC 2025 Report on Cybersecurity and Resilience — 2025 Report on Cybersecurity and Resilience | Final |
| May 22, 2024 | FDIC 2024 Risk Review — 2024 Risk Review — Section 5: Operational and Cyber Risks | Final |
| Jun 6, 2023 | FDIC FIL-29-2023 — Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management | In force |
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