Legal and cybersecurity challenges of integrating artificial intelligence and the internet of things in financial institutions in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan

The study looks into the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the Internet of Things (IoT), especially the legal, regulatory, and cybersecurity integration challenges within the context of UAE and Jordan's financial sectors. The objective of the study was to assess the relative impact of the cybersecurity challenges, legal infrastructures, and e-governance maturity on the cyber threats and trust of clientele. The study utilized a quantitative research design, gathering data through a survey distributed to employees and managers within a number of financial institutions. With a data sample of 400 employees, the survey data were analyzed through a variety of methods, such as descriptive statistics, reliability, Pearson correlations, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The study established that the risks posed by inadequate cybersecurity infrastructures substantially increase the threats. Also, the risks posed by inadequate legal regulations and low e-governance maturity do not appear to increase the challenges. Legal adequacy positively impacts trust. Exposure to cyber threats with unmitigated risks and poor legal regulations and low e-governance maturity do not appear to increase the challenges. The study relies on the trust of cyber clientele to validate and uphold the proposed theoretical framework suggesting the need for an integrated approach consisting of high-quality legal regulations, comprehensive governance, and secure advanced cybersecurity to ensure the safe merging of AI and IoT. In addition, the study sheds light on the perspectives of policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions aiming to build safe and reliable digital financial systems in the UAE and Jordan.