Singapore's MAS and Industry Set Safeguards for Autonomous AI Agents in Finance

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, together with major financial institutions and fintech firms, has released a white paper setting out an industry framework to keep autonomous artificial-intelligence agents in finance operating within safe limits. The framework, called Safeguards for Agentic Finance at Runtime, or SAFR, is designed to let AI agents carry out financial tasks in a manner that is safe, secure and dependable. It was produced under BuildFin.ai, a MAS programme that supports the responsible development and deployment of AI tools across the financial sector. The initiative responds to the rapid rise of 'agentic' AI, in which software agents take on increasingly autonomous work, from executing transactions to managing workflows, at a pace and scale that make hands-on human oversight impractical. The framework focuses on runtime controls, the guardrails that operate while an agent is actually performing a task, covering areas such as accountability, security, and keeping agents within defined risk boundaries. By building the safeguards collaboratively with industry, MAS aims to encourage innovation while managing the operational, security and conduct risks that come with handing more decisions to machines. The work reinforces Singapore's position as a hub trying to balance financial-technology leadership with robust risk management.