In a region where financial systems are the lifeblood of global trade and investment, the fight against financial crime has escalated into a high-stakes battle between innovation and exploitation. As we mark the fifth year of the AML Tech Barometer 2025, this new report offers an examination of how technology is reshaping financial crime risk management across Asia Pacific financial institutions (FIs).

This year’s report confronts critical challenges that are transforming the landscape, including the rise of trade-based money laundering (TBML) and secondary sanctions, the pervasive threat of synthetic impersonation and AI-driven fraud, and the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by organised crime and human trafficking networks.

In this report, we explore:

• Current State of Technology in AML: We analyse the latest trends in technology adoption among Asia Pacific FIs and their growing reliance on advanced solutions.
•  AI and ML Advancements: In the age of GenAI, we explore the expanding role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in enhancing AML functions and tackling complex financial crime typologies.
•  The Balance Between Business and Technology Priorities: We identify and examine the financial crime and technology priorities shaping the landscape for FIs in the coming year.
•  Combating False Positives: We explore industry progress in reducing false positive rates in transaction monitoring and screening, a long-standing pain point for the industry.
•  Emerging Trends in Suspicious Activity Reporting: We delve into the latest trends and insights in suspicious activity reporting, reflecting the evolving threats in financial crime.