AI-Driven Software Modernization: Overcoming Legacy Challenges in Financial Services and Healthcare

In highly regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare, the modernization of legacy systems is both a strategic imperative and a formidable challenge. Decades-old technology, stringent compliance requirements, and the critical need for data privacy and operational resilience create a complex environment where traditional approaches to software transformation often fall short. Publicis Sapient, through its proprietary Sapient Slingshot platform and suite of AI-driven solutions, is redefining what’s possible—enabling organizations to modernize securely, compliantly, and at unprecedented speed.

The Legacy Challenge in Regulated Industries

Financial services and healthcare organizations are stewards of some of the world’s most sensitive data. They operate under a web of regulations—GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, PSD2, and more—that govern every aspect of how information is handled, processed, and protected. At the same time, these sectors are under pressure to innovate, deliver new digital experiences, and respond rapidly to evolving customer and patient needs. Yet, legacy systems—often built on outdated mainframes or tightly coupled architectures—stand in the way, draining IT budgets and slowing the pace of change.

Key challenges include:

Regulatory compliance: Every code change, data flow, and system integration must be auditable and explainable.
Data privacy and security: Patient and financial data must remain protected at all times, with robust encryption, access controls, and audit trails.
Skills shortage: Few engineers possess deep expertise in both legacy and modern technologies, complicating transitions.
Operational risk: Modernization projects must not disrupt mission-critical services or introduce new vulnerabilities.

AI-Powered Modernization: The Sapient Slingshot Approach

Sapient Slingshot is Publicis Sapient’s AI-powered software development platform, purpose-built to address the unique demands of regulated industries. It combines proprietary AI agents, an extensive code library built on decades of domain expertise, and advanced automation to accelerate every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Key Capabilities for Regulated Sectors

AI-Driven Application Modernization: Automate the migration, refactoring, and testing of legacy code—reducing modernization costs by over 50% and cycle times by up to 70%. For example, mainframe applications can be deconstructed and rebuilt as modular, cloud-native services, with AI generating program flow diagrams, requirements, and modern code.
Explainable AI and Human Oversight: Techniques such as chain-of-thought prompting and human-in-the-loop validation ensure that every AI-generated artifact is transparent, auditable, and meets regulatory standards. This is critical for demonstrating compliance and maintaining trust with regulators and stakeholders.
On-Premises Deployment and Security Controls: For organizations with strict data residency or privacy requirements, Sapient Slingshot supports on-premises deployment. Sensitive data never leaves the enterprise, and customizable security controls—including robust encryption and granular access management—align with the highest compliance standards.
Automated Audit Trails and Compliance Reporting: Every action, decision, and code change is automatically logged, streamlining regulatory reporting and reducing the risk of human error.
Comprehensive Test Automation: AI accelerates the creation of test cases and synthetic data, enabling exhaustive validation without exposing real patient or financial data. This reduces defects and ensures software meets the highest standards for reliability and safety.

Real-World Impact: Metrics That Matter

Organizations leveraging Sapient Slingshot and Sapient AI for Applications have achieved:

Up to 99% code-to-spec accuracy
50–60% increase in defect detection and correction
30% faster time-to-market
20% reduction in change effort
30% improvement in software quality
Over 50% reduction in modernization costs and up to 70% reduction in cycle times

These are not theoretical numbers—they reflect real outcomes in financial services, healthcare, and other regulated sectors, where compliance and security are paramount.

Industry-Specific Examples

Financial Services: Leading banks have used Sapient Slingshot to modernize payment platforms, automating backlog generation, architecture design, and microservices code creation. Automated regulatory checks ensure compliance with PCI DSS, AML, KYC, and data privacy regulations. The result: up to 30% faster time-to-market and 30% improvement in software quality, all while maintaining operational resilience.
Healthcare: Healthcare organizations have deployed custom AI platforms within their own infrastructure, ensuring patient health information (PHI) never leaves the enterprise. AI-driven test automation and interoperability accelerators have reduced software release cycles and improved data integration, supporting better patient outcomes and full compliance with privacy and safety mandates.

Best Practices for Secure, Compliant AI-Driven Modernization

Systematize AI Interventions: Curate pre-training data, fine-tune models with industry and enterprise context, and update prompt libraries to maximize relevance and accuracy.
Invest in Skills and Change Management: Upskill teams in AI tools, prompt engineering, and critical oversight. Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous learning.
Prioritize Security, Compliance, and Explainability: Build workflows with human-in-the-loop validation, robust security controls, and transparent AI outputs.
Measure and Optimize: Track productivity, quality, and business value metrics across the SDLC to continuously refine AI interventions.
Leverage Proprietary Data: Use unique corporate data and expertise to train custom AI models, creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

Why Publicis Sapient?

With decades of experience in digital business transformation and a proven track record in regulated industries, Publicis Sapient is uniquely positioned to help organizations modernize securely and compliantly. Our SPEED framework—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data & AI—ensures that every engagement is holistic, outcome-driven, and tailored to the unique needs of financial services and healthcare clients.

Ready to transform your software development with secure, compliant AI? Connect with Publicis Sapient’s experts to explore how Sapient AI for Applications and Sapient Slingshot can help you achieve your modernization goals—without compromising on compliance, security, or risk management.