At TSAM London 2026, Robin Hasson, Head of Reconciliations Product Management at Smartstream, discussed the evolving landscape of operational scrutiny and the push toward T+1 readiness. While AI is the dominant topic, Smartstream emphasizes that its successful adoption is entirely dependent on data quality and architecture. Reliable AI training requires a “golden source” of data, centralized storage, and rigorous quality control to provide meaningful insights and reporting.
Hasson warns of the risks associated with “medium grade” AI being deployed without proper strategy as simply using AI to generate code that replicates legacy problems, like messy spreadsheets and complex macros, creates new technical debt rather than solving it. He suggests that AI must be handled carefully to ensure it drives a genuine evolution of the back office rather than just moving existing problems forward.
The industry is increasingly shifting toward Reconciliations-as-a-Service, a model where AI and machine learning spearhead rapid changes in how data is managed. Smartstream notes that while current regulation remains relatively light, firms must be cautious not to progress so far down a specific path that they face future unpicking as global standards evolve as the goal is to build digital infrastructure that shifts from technological hype to demonstrable delivery and operational resilience.