AI Going Rogue? FM Calls For Guardrails, Human Accountability

The Finance Minister cautioned that AI could become a systemic threat if it develops without adequate controls. She stated, “as we rapidly progress into the era of Agentic AI, tokenisation, and quantum computing, we all need to ask a critical question to ourselves: how do we balance breakthrough efficiency against emerging systemic risk? The benefits of newer technologies are evident. Tokenisation cuts out unnecessary intermediaries, making asset transfers almost instantaneous. Agentic AI moves beyond giving recommendations to taking direct actions, compressing multi-day processes into seconds. Meanwhile, quantum computing promises computing power and security protocols previously thought impossible. Yet speed works both ways. When decisions and transactions become instantaneous, software errors, fraud, and market shocks can spread at the same rapid pace, naturally. AI acts as a double-edged sword: it helps us spot fraud faster, but it also allows attackers to automate larger, more sophisticated cyberattacks. Furthermore, the rise of quantum computing means our traditional security and encryption systems must be upgraded before current defences become obsolete. Our goal should be neither to block innovation out of fear nor to let speed compromise safety. Instead, we must separate wasteful operational friction from essential safeguards—the built-in checks, human oversight, and circuit breakers that protect the system.”