Compliance functions are facing increasing regulatory complexity, resource constraints and growing expectations regarding the use of technology. These are among the principal findings of Regology’s 2026 State of Regulatory Compliance Survey, which examines current developments in regulatory compliance, enforcement exposure and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

The report is based on responses from 204 compliance, legal and risk professionals across different industries and organisation sizes. According to the survey, 92.6% of respondents consider their compliance roles to have become more difficult in recent years. At the same time, 57.8% report working in compliance departments with five or fewer employees, while 80.9% state that their teams continue to rely primarily on manual processes. The report identifies the increasing frequency of regulatory changes, limited resources and the administrative burden associated with compliance activities as important challenges.

The survey also highlights concerns regarding regulatory enforcement. According to Regology’s findings, 32.8% of respondents report that their organisations have already faced fines or penalties for regulatory non-compliance, while 40.7% expect their organisations to face such consequences in the future. These figures reflect respondents’ reported experiences and expectations rather than independently verified enforcement outcomes.

A further focus of the report is the growing role of AI and regulatory technology (RegTech). According to the survey, 59.3% of respondents have already used AI within their compliance departments, while 75.5% believe that AI can improve the efficiency of their daily work. However, the report also identifies potential governance challenges: 38.8% of respondents indicate that their organisations do not have a formal risk review process for generative AI tools. Concerns about inaccurate AI-generated information, confidentiality and data protection remain widespread.

Regology interprets these findings as evidence of a growing discrepancy between the increasing demands placed on compliance functions and their existing operational capacity. The report suggests that technology, automation and AI are becoming increasingly relevant to managing regulatory change, particularly where compliance teams continue to depend on manual workflows and fragmented sources of regulatory information.

The findings should be considered in light of the survey’s geographical composition: 92.2% of respondents are based in the United States. Accordingly, the results primarily reflect experiences and perceptions within the U.S. regulatory environment and should not be regarded as representative of compliance functions globally.

Overall, Regology’s 2026 State of Regulatory Compliance Survey provides an empirical perspective on the challenges facing compliance professionals and the evolving relationship between regulatory complexity, compliance resources, technological adoption and AI governance.