The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is embracing artificial intelligence and automation to address the significant increase in its oversight responsibilities, as stated by Chairman Mike Selig in his congressional testimony. Despite a substantial decline in the agency's workforce under the Trump administration, the CFTC is tasked with regulating the rapidly expanding cryptocurrency and prediction markets. Selig noted that approximately a quarter of the CFTC's staff has departed since 2025, but emphasized that the agency is 'running more efficiently and effectively' with the aid of AI tools such as Microsoft's Copilot. The chairman assured lawmakers that the CFTC is prioritizing the enforcement of proper market regulations, with numerous investigations currently underway in the prediction markets.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the agency's capacity to effectively oversee these markets with its current staffing levels, prompting calls for increased funding and personnel to support the CFTC's growing responsibilities.