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The Big Idea in one picture

The bank of 2035: one gateway, four thin layers and one spine

  1. Customers and their AI delegates enter through an agent gateway that checks identity, mandate and limits.
  2. The bank's own autonomous agents decide and serve, within parameters staff set.
  3. Product engines and a real-time ledger do the maths and keep the books. What remains of core is accountability.
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OUTSIDE THE BANK Customersets goals and the mandate Customer's delegateAI agent acting under mandate Other firms' agentsmerchants, platforms, banks BANK BOUNDARY Agent gateway verifies who is acting (person or agent), which mandate, which limits; open to any compliant agent; every action signed and logged NEW CONTROL POINT The bank's autonomous agents servicing, credit decisions, collections, treasury, fraud, compliance human in the loop: staff set parameters and approve exceptions DIFFERENTIATING Product engines deposits, lending, cards, FX; bought as SaaS or built in-house COMMODITY Horizontal ledger utility real-time double-entry event store on any cloud; priced like a database the one layer that must never be wrong COMMODITY Accountability spine owned by the licensed bank Licence and capital Mandate and consent records Reconciliation to every rail Regulatory returns, IFRS 9 Model risk, AI Act controls Resilience, recovery, DORA Liability to the customer What remains of "core"

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The numbers behind the arguments

39%of organisations report any enterprise-level profit effect from AI, though 88% use it (McKinsey, 2025)Growth-First AI Strategy: Five Rules That Move the Numbers93%of surveyed organisations report exceeding their AI budgets (McKinsey, 2026; 75 respondents)Which AI Platform? Five Rules to Match the Tool to the Task£48.65mcombined FCA and PRA fines on TSB, December 2022Why Big-Bang Migrations Fail49.5%of value still moved through branchesEmpty Halls, Heavy Money

Areas of focus

AIAgents, governance and where AI creates value.10 piecesResearchEvidence that executives and boards can act on.3 piecesStrategyWhat boards and executive committees should decide, fund and measure.13 piecesInnovationMoving from pilots to capabilities that scale.6 pieces

AI

Agents, governance and where AI creates value.

All 10 pieces →

Research

Evidence that executives and boards can act on.

All 3 pieces →

Strategy

What boards and executive committees should decide, fund and measure.

All 13 pieces →

Innovation

Moving from pilots to capabilities that scale.

All 6 pieces →

The full archive

14 pieces, newest first
  1. 29 October 2026Growth-First AI Strategy: Five Rules That Move the NumbersExplainer · AI, Strategy · 4 min
  2. 26 May 2026Six Terms Every Bank Board Needs for the Agent EraExplainer · AI, Strategy · 1 min
  3. 1 May 2026Evidence Before Enthusiasm: Five Questions Executives Should Ask of Any AI ClaimExplainer · Research, AI, Strategy · 2 min
  4. 21 April 2026From Pilots to Portfolios: How Development Finance Institutions Should Fund AIEssay · AI, Strategy, Innovation · 2 min
  5. 21 February 2026Which AI Platform? Five Rules to Match the Tool to the TaskExplainer · AI, Strategy · 4 min
  6. 10 December 2025Why Big-Bang Migrations FailBrief · Strategy, Innovation · 1 min
  7. 23 November 2025Empty Halls, Heavy MoneyChart · Research, Strategy · 1 min
  8. 19 November 2025AI Quick Wins: Five Rules for a Year That Proves ValueExplainer · AI, Strategy · 4 min
  9. 13 August 2025Why East African Boards Misunderstand AI Risk ManagementEssay · AI, Strategy · 3 min
  10. 2 June 2025The Agent Gateway Is Banking's New Front DoorEssay · AI, Innovation · 2 min
  11. 12 December 2024Sovereign AI on a Small Budget: Choices for Emerging-Market GovernmentsBrief · AI, Strategy, Innovation · 1 min
  12. 10 May 2024Navigating Infrastructure Projects in the Age of Digital DisruptionEssay · Strategy, Innovation · 3 min
  13. 22 April 2024The Tier Trap: Why Oversized ERP Fails Smaller OrganisationsBig Idea · Strategy, Research · 17 min
  14. 21 January 2024Banking Is Necessary. Core Banking Systems Are Not.Big Idea · Strategy, AI, Innovation · 10 min