🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

This innovation is driven by caution, not just speed

• Standardized work such as trading automation fits finance’s risk-averse culture. A Korea Capital Market Institute analysis called AI use in deal sourcing (finding and evaluating potential investments) as having “virtually no potential” because AI mistakes can trigger massive losses or legal disputes 1.
• Patent filings reinforce that slow pace. Listed financial companies filed 4% of applications, leaving most filings to unlisted SaaS startups 1.
• Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) released a revised draft of integrated AI guidelines for the financial sector. The FSC expects the rules to take effect in the first quarter of 2026 after the public consultation ends Jan. 31, 2026 2.
• The draft guidelines place responsibility on the financial company when it uses AI models or systems from third parties, including open source 2.

The rise of AI-as-a-service creates new risks and business models

• Local SaaS companies filed 67% of financial investment-related AI patent applications. Financial investment firms therefore spend more effort vetting vendors than building tools in house 3.
• The B2B service model faces pressure as AI moves from assisting employees to running full workflows. Per-user SaaS subscriptions may weaken and outcome-based pricing may rise 4.
• Patents capture activity, yet they do not ensure profits.
• Korea’s medical AI sector offers a parallel. Revenues grew across several companies, while industry observers called Seers Technology the first Korea-listed medical AI company to post an annual operating profit in 2025 5.