Regulatory technology (RegTech) aims to improve regulatory compliance by automating processes, facilitating reporting, and using advanced data analytics to identify and manage risks. FINRA recently convened a group of regulators, financial services firms and RegTech experts to explore the growth of RegTech and its associated benefits and challenges. This article, the first in a two-part series, covers the portions of the FINRA 2019 RegTech Conference that examined artificial intelligence and big data, blockchain, RegTech challenges, and regulators’ views on RegTech. The second article will explore current uses of RegTech by regulated entities and regulators, considerations before deploying RegTech, and a case study of RegTech implementation. See our three-part series on blockchain technology: “Basics of the Blockchain Technology and How the Financial Sector Is Currently Employing It” (Jun. 14, 2017); “How Financial Service Providers Can Use Blockchain to Improve Operations and Compliance” (Jun. 28, 2017); and “Blockchain and the Financial Services Industry: Potential Impediments to Its Eventual Adoption” (Jul. 12, 2017).