EMA Research Finds Legacy Identity Systems Slowing AI Adoption in Finance

May 19, 2026
A global survey by Enterprise Management Associates, commissioned by Ory Corp., shows that financial and insurance institutions are adopting AI more cautiously than other sectors due to legacy identity systems and regulatory constraints.

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) has published new research indicating that legacy identity and access management systems are slowing artificial intelligence adoption in the financial sector. The study, commissioned by Ory Corp., surveyed 271 IT and security professionals across industries.

The report, titled "The AI Identity Crisis: Balancing Innovation with Strict Compliance in the Financial Sector," found that only 29.7 percent of financial institutions have AI initiatives in full-scale production, compared with 40.6 percent across all industries. The research attributes this slower pace to strict regulatory requirements and fragmented identity infrastructures.

According to EMA, 58 percent of organizations use three or more identity and access management solutions, while 51 percent cite rising identity management costs as a major challenge. The study also shows that 62.2 percent of financial firms say their identity systems need more resilience, and 59.5 percent require stronger security capabilities.

EMA will host a webinar on May 19, 2026, featuring research director Ken Buckler and Ory's head of product marketing Damon Tepe. The event will discuss how modern identity approaches can help financial institutions deploy AI securely.

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