AI is increasingly adopted by financial firms trying to benefit from the abundance of available big data datasets and the growing affordability of computing capacity, both of which are basic ingredients of machine learning (ML) models. Financial service providers use these models to identify signals and capture underlying relationships in data in a way that is beyond the ability of humans. However, the use-cases of AI in finance are not restricted to ML models for decision-making and expand throughout the spectrum of financial market activities (Figure 2.1). Research published in 2018 by Autonomous NEXT estimates that implementing AI has the potential to cut operating costs in the financial services industry by 22% by 2030.
This section looks at how AI and big data can influence the business models and activities of financial firms in the areas of asset management and investing; trading; lending; and blockchain applications in finance.
