Steps to a new reality: navigating challenges in AI-enhanced XBRL analysis
In the latest guest post on the XBRL International blog, Björn Fastabend, head of XBRL collection at Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), once again brings a regulator’s perspective on the practical challenges of integrating AI into digital supervision. His message? AI has real potential, but only if regulators proceed with care, clarity, and a strong sense of purpose.
Fastabend argues that AI isn’t magic, and it shouldn’t be the boss. For regulators, its role is as an assistant: good at spotting patterns, terrible at taking responsibility. The key is integration: storing XBRL filings in a shared system that powers both BI and AI tools, enabling precise querying and exploratory analysis using the same high-quality, structured data. The goal is not to reinvent everything, but to enhance existing processes with care.
From data sovereignty and security to change management and governance, the article offers a grounded roadmap for supervisory bodies stepping into the AI era. And as Fastabend wisely notes, “start small.” Pilot projects, targeted use cases and robust audit trails are all part of building confidence without compromising rigour.
This is the kind of dialogue XBRL International is proud to support: thoughtful, practical, and grounded in real-world experience. It’s well worth a read.
Read Fastabend’s article on our blog now.
