EMA Research Finds Legacy IAM Systems Are Slowing AI Adoption in Financial Sector

Global survey of 271 IT and security professionals, commissioned by Ory Corp., shows financial and insurance institutions are adopting AI more cautiously than other industries, with full-scale production deployment trailing the broader market (29.7% vs. 40.6%)

LAFAYETTE, Colo., May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™), a leading IT research and consulting firm, today announced new research, "The AI Identity Crisis: Balancing Innovation with Strict Compliance in the Financial Sector," authored by Ken Buckler, research director for information security, risk, and compliance management at EMA.

Based on a global survey conducted by EMA in partnership with Ory, a modern identity and access management provider, the report examines how financial services organizations, fearing excessive agency, are approaching AI adoption amid stringent regulatory requirements and growing identity security challenges.

The research reveals that while financial institutions recognize the transformative potential of AI agents, many are proceeding cautiously. Only 29.7% of financial organizations report having AI initiatives in full-scale production, compared with 40.6% across all industries.

"With increasing industry regulations focused on cybersecurity, financial, and insurance, organizations are right to be cautious," said Buckler. "Recent follow-up research conducted by EMA in April reinforces the need for caution: 92% of organizations reported experiencing negative consequences from AI adoption. In financial services, where trust is paramount, the stakes are especially high. No organization wants to tell a customer, 'We're sorry, your financial information was compromised.' That is why strong identity controls and governance are essential to scaling AI safely and responsibly."

In addition to broader concerns around governance and oversight, many organizations are struggling with fragmented and costly IAM environments. The survey found that 58% of respondents use three or more IAM solutions, and 51% identified rising IAM costs as their top challenge. These findings suggest that financial institutions must modernize identity infrastructure to support AI securely and efficiently.

Key findings from this research include:

• 67.6% of financial services AI deployments access internal company data
• 64.9% access customer data

The research also found financial services organizations report substantially larger IAM readiness gaps than the broader market: 

• 62.2% said their IAM stack requires additional resilience capabilities
• 59.5% said additional security capabilities are needed
• 43.2% said their current IAM infrastructure requires stronger compliance support

The report provides a financial services-specific analysis of the survey data, highlighting how firms can address identity-related obstacles and establish secure identity foundations for safely implementing enterprise AI.

"Financial services organizations are clearly being more deliberate about moving AI agents into production environments, and the data suggests these organizations know that identity security is a significant factor," said Jeff Kukowski, CEO of Ory. "These organizations are preparing AI agents to interact with customer data, internal systems, and regulated workflows while at the same time acknowledging that many existing IAM architectures were not designed for agents securely operating at scale."

A detailed analysis of the research findings is available in the report, "The AI Identity Crisis: Balancing Innovation with Strict Compliance in the Financial Sector."

EMA will also host a complimentary webinar on May 19, 2026 (with on-demand access available afterward), featuring Buckler and Damon Tepe, Head of Product Marketing at Ory. The event will explore the report's findings and outline how a composable IAM approach can help organizations innovate without compromising compliance.

About EMA
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering actionable insights across the evolving technology landscape. Through independent research, market analysis, and vendor evaluations, we empower organizations to make well-informed technology decisions. Our team of analysts combines practical experience with a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging vendor solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services at www.enterprisemanagement.com and follow them on X and LinkedIn.

About Ory
Ory, the modern choice for customer identity and access management (CIAM), and one of the world's most widely adopted IAM platforms, manages more than 2.5 billion identities across open source and commercial deployments. Ory's infrastructure powers 10 percent of the top 40 websites and serves leading enterprises in financial services, technology, media, and other sectors requiring flexible, high performance identity solutions. With over 45,000 GitHub stars and 700 million downloads, Ory delivers enterprise grade security with developer friendly flexibility. Ory is backed by investments from Insight Partners, Balderton Capital, PHX Ventures, and IQT. Learn more about Ory at www.ory.com.

Media Contact:
Raleigh Gould
Enterprise Management Associates
303-543-9500
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Ory Corp
⁠[email protected]

SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates