SEC lists emerging technologies in 2027 examination priorities

On 23 October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its fiscal year 2027 examination priorities in “SEC Announces Fiscal Year 2027 Examination Priorities”, published on SEC.gov. The areas include emerging technologies, including “super intelligence”, because of their potential effects on market operations, compliance, fraud prevention and investor protection. Operational resilience, cybersecurity and protection of customer information also feature. The programme covers more than 34,000 registrants, including investment advisers, investment companies, broker-dealers and self-regulatory organisations.

The announcement also lists advisers’ fiduciary obligations and conflicts of interest, complex or illiquid products for retail investors, private funds, private credit and broker-dealers’ anti-money laundering compliance. It also identifies tokenisation and Treasury clearing reforms. These priorities guide examinations of compliance with US federal securities laws; the announcement does not introduce a general AI regulatory framework. The list is not exhaustive and may change during the year as risks develop. Firms are expected to maintain compliance programmes based on risk and tailored to their businesses.