Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden warns that autonomous artificial intelligence agents could increase stress and volatility in financial markets. Speaking at the European Central Bank’s annual symposium in Sintra, Portugal, she says the problem is not only that agents may make mistakes, but that they could respond in similar ways at the same time, creating a feedback loop. In that scenario, coordinated or synchronized actions by multiple agents could amplify price movements and market disruptions, potentially escalating into broader “market” risks. Breeden also indicates that tighter regulation may be needed to address the potential systemic effects of these technologies. Her remarks, reported by Bloomberg and summarized by The Next Web, focus on how autonomous agents could behave under stress and why regulators may need to consider guardrails for deployment in financial settings. Across the accounts, the central point is that autonomous AI in trading or related market activities could heighten volatility during periods of market strain and raise the likelihood of destabilizing dynamics, prompting calls for stronger oversight.