U.S. Firms Are More Hesitant to Adopt AI for Compliance Than EMEA Counterparts, Report Finds

Over half (56.3%) of North American firms have no plans to introduce AI for compliance in the next twelve months – and are much more likely to believe banning channels like WhatsApp is a compliant solution to communications risk.

Global Relay, a leading provider of end-to-end compliance solutions for highly regulated industries, has shared the findings of its third annual report into the major compliance challenges facing financial firms.

Based on insights from hundreds of compliance and surveillance professionals worldwide, the Industry Insights: Compliant Communications Report 2025 leverages this data to track key compliance trends, with findings including:

• 56.3% of North American (NA) respondents have no plans to introduce AI into compliance workflows in the next year – a stark contrast to the 71.4% of EMEA respondents who intend to
• 50.6% of NA firms agree that banning communications channels, like WhatsApp and WeChat, is an effective compliance solution – but just 31.7% of EMEA-based firms agree
• We may be witnessing a tipping point, with a near 20% drop in firms electing to ban channels since 2023 – and an increase in firms enabling and monitoring channels of over 28% in the last two years
• There has been a considerable drop in respondents struggling to get staff to stick to compliance policies, down to just 29.5% compared to 61.5% in 2023

The hesitancy around AI adoption from NA respondents underlines the complex questions raised by these technologies. While regulatory guardrails like the EU AI act may be emboldening EMEA-based firms, clear cut messaging from North American regulatory bodies has been slower to materialize. Recent shifts from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) towards a “technology-neutral” and pro-innovation stance on AI may pave the way for an upswing in AI adoption by NA firms.

“Recent technological advances in AI are moving the needle quickly when it comes to adoption, although AI is still generally perceived as difficult, expensive, and only marginally effective for risk detection use cases,” explains Don McElligott, Vice President, Compliance Supervision, Global Relay. “It will be very interesting to see if adoption numbers increase as organizations realize the value and availability of effective AI solutions.”

Recent changes in the senior leadership of U.S. regulators and subsequent shifts in focus have left the compliance community asking questions, and the report findings paint a picture of an industry at an inflection point. After four years of the SEC’s “War on WhatsApp,” and punitive fines for off-channel communications lapses, North American firms seem understandably cautious, favoring channel bans over compliant communications solutions – but the tide may be turning.

“Considering the size of off-channel communications fines firms have been hit with over recent years, weighed against the cost to enable and capture channels, leveraging compliance solutions feels like a quick, cost-effective win,” says Ryan Sheridan, Senior Manager, Regulatory Intelligence, Global Relay. “Having no clear plan in place, or channel bans staff simply won’t stick to, is incredibly hard to defend should regulators uncover noncompliance. The technologies are there, they are proven, and they are a small price to pay for peace of mind compared to the alternative.”

The Industry Insights: Compliant Communication Report series provides an annual snapshot of the changing face of compliance, combining insight from industry professionals and compliance experts for a data-driven overview of how compliance challenges are evolving, and how the industry is responding.

About Global Relay

Global Relay is a leading provider of end-to-end compliance solutions for the global financial sector and other highly regulated industries.

Founded in 1999, Global Relay delivers services to over 20,000 customers in 90 countries, including 22 of the top 25 banks. From the Global Relay App for compliant communications, through to intelligent archiving, superior data connectors, and proactive surveillance, Global Relay’s integrated compliance solutions enable regulated organizations to meet collaboration, privacy, and security requirements.

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