PAObank and OneConnect Financial Technology Join HKMA's Second Cohort of GenA.I. Sandbox to Enhance Deepfake Fraud Detection

HONG KONG, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PAO Bank Limited ("PAObank"), a member of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An" or the "Group"; HKEX: 2318, SSE: 601318), together with OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. ("OneConnect"; SEHK: 6638, NYSE: OCFT), an associate of Ping An, have been selected for the second cohort of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's ("HKMA") Generative Artificial Intelligence ("GenA.I.") Sandbox, in partnership with Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited. Their joint "Anti-Fraud Strategy Platform" harnesses advanced AI to improve detection of deepfake fraud, strengthening risk management, sharpening fraud investigations, and enhancing customer protection

Within the risk-controlled environment of the sandbox, PAObank and OneConnect will refine the platform's ability to identify deepfake technologies. Using cutting-edge AI-powered facial recognition, the platform will verify user selfies in real time, identifying faces that are forged or synthetically generated. This capability will help detect and prevent fraudulent activities, strengthening the bank's defenses and risk controls.

Mr. Haibin Lin, Chief Technology Officer of PAObank said, "We are proud to join the second cohort of HKMA's GenA.I. Sandbox, working closely with industry peers and regulators to responsibly explore the potential of GenA.I.. Thanks to the innovative technological solutions provided by Ping An Group and OneConnect, PAObank has advanced its AI applications, enhancing operational efficiency and productivity. The experience we gain from this initiative will strengthen the industry's ability to combat deepfake fraud and we are committed to sharing our findings to support wider adoption of GenA.I. technologies across banking industry."

Ping An's AI Leadership and Impact 

Ping An has long committed to pioneering research and development, building powerful AI capabilities that fuel innovations across the Group and its subsidiaries. Serving around 247 million individual customers and over 4 million corporate clients, Ping An leverages vast data resources as a foundation of AI-driven value. By June 2025, the Group amassed over 3.2 trillion textual data points, 310,000 hours of annotated audio data, and more than 7.5 billion images. In the first half of 2025 alone, Ping An deployed large AI models in over 650 business scenarios, with 818 million usage calls, delivering measurable improvements in service efficiency, cost reduction, risk mitigation, and intelligent sales. Notable examples include:

• 94% of life insurance policies underwritten within seconds.
• AI-assisted customer service handling 80% of inquiries.
• RMB 6.44 billion saved in property insurance through fraud prevention and claims management.
• RMB 66.157 billion generated via AI-powered sales.

OneConnect's Cutting-Edge Anti-Fraud Solution 

As Ping An's exclusive FinTech export platform, OneConnect leverages over 30 years of Ping An's financial expertise and proprietary R&D. Its AI-powered anti-fraud solution integrates more than 25 digital modules, covering facial recognition, NFC multi-country document verification, deepfake detection, and device risk assessment. This platform excels at analyzing AI-generated images and detecting sophisticated threats like adversarial face-swapping and fake videos. Fully aligned with the HKMA's e-banking security ABCD framework, it shines in the "Anti-Deepfake" category, with a remarkable 99% success rate in defending against deepfake threats. By mid-2025, OneConnect had served 214 enterprises across 21 countries and regions, becoming the trusted eKYC and anti-fraud partner for over half of Hong Kong's traditional retail banks.

Our Vision Forward

Ping An remains dedicated to its technology-enabled "integrated finance + health and senior care" dual-driver strategy, driving digital transformation through innovation. PAObank will continue to tap into the Group's technological strengths, enhancing AI applications in risk management, product development, and daily operations to deliver a seamless and secure banking experience as a leading digital bank. Meanwhile, OneConnect will deepen its "business + technology" expertise, reinforcing its role as a trusted partner in digital transformation.