On 2 November 2026, during Hong Kong FinTech Week, the HKMA launched Project SAGE ('Securing Agentic Finance with Governance and Enablement') and a cross-sectoral Agentic Finance Expert Group, and published a discussion paper on banks' use of Agentic AI, seeking industry feedback on supervisory considerations for governing such applications. This follows through on the agentic-AI discussion paper the HKMA flagged alongside its 15 October 2026 ART Framework, which said it would explore intent-anchored accountability, a registry of material AI agents and intervention mechanisms.
OFFICIAL TEXT: hkma.gov.hk ↗ · FINAL · HKMA
| Document | HKMA discussion paper on banks' use of Agentic AI — Discussion Paper on the Use of Agentic A.I. by Banks |
| Issued by | Hong Kong Monetary Authority — Hong Kong's banking regulator and de facto central bank (circulars to Authorized Institutions under the Banking Ordinance, Cap. 155) |
| Type | Consultation |
| Status | Final |
| Published | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Applies to | Authorized Institutions under the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155); voluntary feedback exercise, no stated compliance deadline |
| Official source | hkma.gov.hk ↗ |
| Use cases | Generative & agentic AI · AI governance (general) · Model risk management |
What are the key points of HKMA discussion paper on banks' use of Agentic AI?
- Launched at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 alongside Project SAGE and the Agentic Finance Expert Group, whose members span financial institutions, technology providers, professional-services firms and academia.
- Seeks industry feedback on supervisory considerations for governing banks' use of agentic AI; no stated comment deadline found in the HKMA's own announcement.
- Follows through on the agentic-AI governance discussion paper the HKMA flagged on 15 October 2026 alongside the ART Framework.
- The HKMA's own press release does not itself spell out Project SAGE's workstreams; this tracker could not independently confirm their exact scope from HKMA's own text at the time of writing.
What did HKMA discussion paper on banks' use of Agentic AI change for banks?
First follow-through on the ART Framework's promised agentic-AI governance discussion paper — launches a dedicated initiative (Project SAGE) and expert group rather than leaving agentic-AI governance inside the ART guidance alone.
What is HKMA's Project SAGE?
A cross-sectoral initiative — Securing Agentic Finance with Governance and Enablement — launched 2 November 2026 with an Agentic Finance Expert Group, alongside a discussion paper seeking industry feedback on supervisory considerations for banks' use of agentic AI.
Has the HKMA published its promised discussion paper on agentic-AI governance?
Yes, on 2 November 2026, alongside Project SAGE and the Agentic Finance Expert Group — the follow-through flagged when the HKMA announced the ART Framework on 15 October 2026.
| Date | Document | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | HKMA "ART" Framework / AI supervisory guidance — "ART" Framework and Updated Supervisory Guidance for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence | Final |
| Mar 5, 2026 | HKMA GenA.I. Sandbox++ joint circular — Joint Circular on the Expansion of Generative Artificial Intelligence Sandbox (HKMA, SFC, Insurance Authority and MPFA, 5 March 2026) | In force |
| Sep 20, 2024 | HKMA GenA.I. Sandbox circular — Generative Artificial Intelligence Sandbox (HKMA circular inviting applications to the GenA.I. Sandbox, 20 September 2024) | In force |
| Sep 9, 2024 | HKMA circular on AI for monitoring of suspicious activities — Use of Artificial Intelligence for Monitoring of Suspicious Activities (HKMA circular, 9 September 2024) | In force |
| Aug 19, 2024 | HKMA GenAI consumer protection circular — Consumer Protection in respect of Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (HKMA circular, 19 August 2024) | In force |
| Nov 5, 2019 | HKMA BDAI consumer protection principles — Consumer Protection in respect of Use of Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence by Authorized Institutions (HKMA circular, 5 November 2019) | In force |
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