Despite shrinking staff levels and rapidly evolving markets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is improving efficiency by leaning heavily on artificial intelligence and automation, Chairman Michael Selig told lawmakers during a recent House Agriculture Committee hearing, according to FedScoop.
Facing a 20% staff reduction since fiscal 2024, the agency is navigating increased complexity driven by traditional futures growth, prediction markets, and digital assets. Selig said technology has been central to maintaining performance.
“It’s absolutely vital that we continue to monitor, surveil and police our markets. And we are doing just that. We are utilizing new tools, from AI to automation and other surveillance systems that we’re building out, and we take this responsibility very seriously,” Selig said.
AI-powered tools are helping staff detect market anomalies faster and streamline routine workflows. The agency is also expanding access to AI capabilities through Microsoft 365 to integrate intelligence into daily operations.
“This is going to make them more productive, so that they can, of course, focus on their day-to-day tasks and also manage things using automation and software tools,” Selig said.
With continued investment in data and AI, the CFTC aims to sustain oversight while adapting to increasingly complex financial markets.