Financial services and AI
SEC AI: how the SEC uses AI and what it has said about firms' AI claims
A plain guide for compliance and technology leads at investment advisers and broker-dealers. Every fact comes from sec.gov pages read on 6 November 2026. This is not legal advice.
'SEC AI' usually means one of two things: how the Securities and Exchange Commission uses AI inside the agency, or what it expects from firms that use or advertise AI. On the first, the SEC announced on 1 August 2025 an AI task force, which the release says is led by its Chief AI Officer. On the second, the SEC settled charges on 18 March 2024 against two investment advisers for false and misleading statements about their use of AI. This page explains both from SEC sources and says what it did not cover.
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What does SEC AI mean?
People searching for 'SEC AI' are asking about different things. Some want to know how the SEC itself uses artificial intelligence. Others want to know what the SEC says to investment advisers, broker-dealers and other firms about their own AI tools and their statements about them.
This page covers the two topics for which we read an SEC primary page today: the agency's AI task force, and the March 2024 settled cases about AI claims. It does not cover SEC rulemaking, examination priorities or guidance, which we did not read. For those, use the SEC's own pages and your counsel.
Sources: SEC press releases 2025-103 and 2024-36 (URLs in the source list), read 6 November 2026.
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How is the SEC using AI?
The SEC's press release of 1 August 2025 is headlined 'SEC Creates Task Force to Tap Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Innovation and Efficiency Across the Agency'. It says the task force will spearhead the agency's efforts to enhance innovation and efficiency through responsible AI use across the SEC, and that Valerie Szczepanik was named the SEC's Chief AI Officer and leads it.
SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins is quoted in the release saying the task force will empower staff across the SEC with AI-enabled tools and systems. The release is about the agency's own operations. It does not set requirements for the firms the SEC regulates.
Source: SEC, press release 2025-103, 1 August 2025 (https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025-103-sec-creates-task-force-tap-artificial-intelligence-enhanced-innovation-efficiency-across-agency), read 6 November 2026.
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What has the SEC said about firms that claim to use AI?
On 18 March 2024 the SEC announced settled charges against two investment advisers, Delphia (USA) Inc. and Global Predictions Inc., for false and misleading statements about their use of artificial intelligence. The two firms agreed to pay $400,000 in total civil penalties without admitting or denying the SEC's findings: $225,000 for Delphia and $175,000 for Global Predictions.
The SEC said Delphia, from 2019 to 2023, made statements in SEC filings, a press release and its website about its use of AI and machine learning that incorporated client data in its investment process. It said Global Predictions made false claims on its website and social media in 2023. Both were also charged under the Marketing Rule. In the release, then SEC Chair Gary Gensler said investment advisers should not mislead the public by saying they are using an AI model when they are not.
Source: SEC, press release 2024-36, 18 March 2024 (https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-36), read 6 November 2026.
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What should a firm check about its own AI statements?
This is Kriv AI's reading of the cases above, not SEC guidance and not legal advice. The two cases turned on whether public statements about AI matched what the firm's systems did. We recommend listing every place your firm describes its AI (website, filings, press releases, social media, client materials), naming the system and the person who can confirm each statement, and keeping that evidence on file. Any statement nobody can confirm should be changed or removed.
Whether and how SEC rules apply to your firm is a question for your compliance team and counsel.
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What this page could not confirm
We read two SEC press releases. We did not read SEC rules or proposals, examination priorities, staff statements, or later enforcement actions, and we did not check whether newer SEC statements changed anything. The SEC's own page at sec.gov/AI, read on 6 November 2026, names the program and the officer's role differently from the 1 August 2025 press release (it uses 'Super Intelligence'). We cite the press release, which says Chief AI Officer. Check the SEC's current pages for the present name. Check the SEC's current pages before you act.
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Frequently asked questions about SEC AI: how the SEC uses AI and what it has said about firms' AI claims
Does the SEC use AI?
Yes. On 1 August 2025 the SEC announced an AI task force, which the release says is led by Chief AI Officer Valerie Szczepanik, to enhance innovation and efficiency across the agency (SEC press release 2025-103, read 6 November 2026).
What is AI washing?
The term is used for exaggerated or false claims about using AI. The SEC's 18 March 2024 settled cases against Delphia and Global Predictions are examples of charges over false and misleading AI statements by investment advisers (SEC press release 2024-36, read 6 November 2026).
How much were the penalties in the first SEC AI claims cases?
$400,000 in total: $225,000 for Delphia (USA) Inc. and $175,000 for Global Predictions Inc., without admitting or denying the findings (SEC press release 2024-36).
Is there an SEC rule about AI?
This page does not answer that. We did not read SEC rulemaking, so we make no statement either way. Ask your counsel and check sec.gov.
Does Kriv AI give SEC compliance advice?
No. Kriv AI is not a law firm, does not give legal advice, and makes no statement about any firm's compliance with SEC rules. Compliance decisions stay with your firm and counsel.
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