AML compliance for smaller firms processing international payments - what's the real hurdle?

Hey everyone, fairly new here and trying to get my head around the practicalities of AML for firms dealing with cross-border transactions, specifically in the fintech space. We're not a huge bank, more of a payment facilitator for SMEs. I understand the FATF guidelines and local regulations, but it feels like the sheer volume of data and the nuances of client identity verification across different jurisdictions are massive. Is it really about sophisticated AI tools for transaction monitoring, or are there more fundamental, perhaps less discussed, operational challenges that smaller entities face in staying compliant without breaking the bank? What's been your experience with scaling AML efforts efficiently?