What happened
The Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics (IFC), hosted by the Bank for International Settlements, published 'AI readiness in central banks' (IFC Report No 19), an expanded cross-central-bank survey building on its 2024 survey. The report finds that over the past two years the focus 'has broadened beyond experimentation to encompass AI readiness,' defined as 'the institution's preparedness to adopt, adapt and advance AI in its operations, decision-making and objectives.' Its central analytical contribution is a distinction between perceived readiness (how an institution considers itself prepared) and actual readiness (as reflected in the actions it has actually taken to use AI), arguing that 'in practice, assessing AI readiness is a complex task' and that institutions 'need to distinguish' between the two. Published 28 October 2026.
Why it matters
This is the first systematic, survey-based attempt to measure AI readiness (not just experimentation) in central banks, giving financial-sector and government leaders an evidence base and a framework for benchmarking their own AI adoption against peers.
Action needed
Use the perceived-vs-actual readiness distinction to audit your organisation's AI readiness, and compare your maturity against the survey's central-bank benchmarks.