Chat GPT's Impact on Fintech Progress

Chat GPT's Impact on Fintech Progress

Federico PACHE
ML, AI, FinTech

Introduction:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been revolutionizing the financial industry, reshaping the way we manage money, make investments, and conduct transactions. Since the release of Chat GPT, a powerful language model developed by OpenAI, the world of finance and fintech has witnessed remarkable advancements. In this article, we will explore the changes AI has brought to finance, the evolving landscape of fintech, and highlight some of the notable projects that have emerged since the advent of Chat GPT.

  • Enhanced Risk Management: AI algorithms have improved risk management in finance by analyzing real-time data to detect patterns and identify potential risks. For example, Chat GPT-powered systems assess news sentiment, market data, and social media trends to help investors make informed decisions and manage risks effectively.
  • Personalized Financial Services: Fintech companies use AI to offer personalized financial services based on customer data, providing recommendations, budgeting advice, and investment strategies through AI-powered chatbots. Chat GPT's natural language processing enables seamless interaction with financial applications, enhancing user experiences.
  • Fraud Detection and Prevention: AI has significantly strengthened fraud detection and prevention in finance. Chat GPT-powered algorithms analyze transactional data to detect fraudulent patterns and threats. Real-time monitoring allows AI systems to quickly flag suspicious activities, safeguarding financial institutions and customers.
  • Algorithmic Trading and Quantitative Analysis: AI revolutionized algorithmic trading and quantitative analysis. Financial institutions use advanced machine learning models to automate trading decisions based on historical data, market trends, and predictive analytics. Chat GPT enhances trading algorithms, enabling traders to optimize strategies and seize market opportunities.
  • Improved Customer Service: AI-powered chatbots revolutionized customer service in finance. With Chat GPT's conversational abilities, these systems handle inquiries, offer real-time support, and provide personalized recommendations. Natural language understanding and sentiment analysis improve response quality, boosting customer satisfaction and reducing response times.

Projects Since Chat GPT's Release

a)Robo-Advisory Platforms: Several AI-driven robo-advisory platforms have emerged, providing automated investment advice and portfolio management services to retail investors. These platforms leverage Chat GPT's natural language processing capabilities to enhance user interactions and provide personalized investment recommendations. Wealthfront is an AI-powered platform that helps regular investors manage their money. It uses advanced algorithms and Chat GPT's language processing to give personalized advice based on financial goals, risk tolerance, and time frame. The platform creates diversified portfolios, keeps them balanced, and optimizes investments for taxes. It's easy to use, letting users track performance, set goals, and get automated advice. Wealthfront shows how AI improves investment services and makes sophisticated strategies and professional advice available to everyone who wants to grow their wealth. Aside from considering fees, tax loss harvesting, and cash drag, Wealthfront's AI will monitor actual account activity and use that information to automatically improve the advice given, without requiring additional questionnaires. "We are working on building our platform for the future," Nash said in an interview with WealthManagement.com. "We have a great chance to provide highly personalized and relevant financial advice while also preparing for AI's growing role."

b) Credit Scoring and Underwriting: AI-powered systems are transforming the credit scoring and underwriting processes. By analyzing alternative data sources, such as social media activity and online behavior, machine learning models can assess creditworthiness more accurately. Chat GPT has contributed to the development of advanced credit scoring algorithms, enabling faster and more accurate decision-making. Upstart is an online lending platform that uses AI and machine learning to assess creditworthiness. It analyzes different data sources, including alternative data like education and social media activity, to make more accurate lending decisions. By incorporating Chat GPT and advanced algorithms, Upstart provides faster and informed lending decisions, making credit more accessible to people with limited credit history. It continuously learns from historical data to improve its credit scoring algorithms and transform the credit assessment process.

c) Anti-Money Laundering (AML): AI is playing a vital role in combating money laundering. Advanced AI systems powered by Chat GPT can analyze vast volumes of transactional data, identify suspicious patterns, and flag potential AML risks. These systems assist financial institutions in complying with regulatory requirements and mitigating financial crimes. Chainalysis is a top blockchain analysis firm that fights money laundering using AI, including Chat GPT. They analyze transaction data with AI algorithms to spot suspicious patterns and identify AML risks. With Chat GPT's help, they analyze text data from forums, dark web marketplaces, and social media to improve their AML solutions. Chainalysis offers valuable insights into illicit activities, helping financial institutions and regulators prevent financial crimes and comply with AML regulations.

d) Natural Language Processing in Compliance: AI has facilitated the automation of compliance processes in finance. By leveraging Chat GPT's natural language processing capabilities, financial institutions can efficiently review and analyze large volumes of legal documents, contracts, and regulatory frameworks. This automation improves accuracy, reduces manual effort, and ensures compliance with regulatory standards. Kira Systemsis a leading provider of AI contract analysis software that uses Chat GPT's natural language processing. It automates compliance processes for financial institutions by efficiently reviewing and analyzing legal documents. This saves time and reduces errors compared to manual review. Kira Systems' AI solution improves compliance accuracy, helps stay up to date with regulations, and flags potential issues. By integrating NLP in compliance, AI streamlines workflows and ensures adherence to regulatory standards, transforming the efficiency of compliance processes in finance.

Conclusion:

Since the release of Chat GPT, AI has significantly transformed the financial industry and fintech landscape. Enhanced risk management, personalized financial services, fraud detection, algorithmic trading, improved customer service, and numerous innovative projects have emerged. As AI continues to advance, its integration with finance and fintech holds the potential to reshape the industry, offering greater efficiency, transparency, and customer-centric solutions.

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Zilo Secures £25m in Series A Funding

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Zilo, a fintech start-up based in the UK that specializes in global asset and wealth management software, has successfully raised £25 million in its Series A funding round.

The funding was spearheaded by Fidelity International Strategic Ventures (FISV) and Portage, with additional contributions from State Street and Citi. According to PitchBook data, the company had previously raised $10.6 million in a seed round in October 2022.

Established in 2020 and headquartered in London, Zilo's mission is to enhance cost efficiency, reduce complexity, and generate sustainable value for global asset and wealth management firms, along with their clientele. Zilo's software facilitates the replacement of outdated legacy systems with a digital, real-time user experience. The platform went live with its inaugural client in July 2023.

The newly secured funds will be channeled towards accelerating product development, fostering user acquisition, and expanding its presence in the market. Additionally, the capital will be allocated to entering new markets and establishing strategic partnerships to diversify its offerings.

Philip Goffin, the founder and CEO of Zilo, commented on the funding, stating, "We are committed to empowering financial service institutions to phase out obsolete legacy technologies and significantly enhance the cost efficiencies of their operations by leveraging Zilo to transition to a modern digital solution that supports existing fund structures, new digital assets, and improves client experiences."

SOURCE: Fintech Inshorts
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Amethis buys majority  in CBS

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Amethis, a dedicated investment fund manager focusing on Africa, has recently acquired a majority stake in Capital Banking Solutions (CBS), a European provider of banking solutions. The transaction amount remains undisclosed.

Headquartered in Paris, France, CBS has been delivering banking solutions internationally for the past 25 years. Its prominent offerings include CapitalBanker, a core banking solution, and CapitalPrivate, a wealth management solution tailored for European private banks and wealth management specialists.

CBS, employing over 300 professionals, operates in multiple locations, including France, Monaco, Switzerland, the USA, Morocco, Lebanon, and Ivory Coast.

Amethis, through its investment, aims to support CBS in accelerating organic growth, especially on an international scale. The strategy includes facilitating CBS's external growth through strategic acquisitions, expanding its geographical reach, and reinforcing existing services.

In this transaction, Amethis secures a majority stake, collaborating with CBS's president and CEO, Samer Hanna, COO Michel Tueni, CFO Aziz Akl, and other key executives, all of whom are reinvesting their proceeds. Founded in 2012 and based in Paris, Amethis manages assets exceeding €1 billion, with over 30 investments to date. As a partner member of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, Amethis provides growth capital to mid-sized businesses across various sectors through its six offices in Europe and Africa.

SOURCE: Amethis
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Ant Group Close to Acquiring MultiSafepay

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Chinese financial services giant Ant Group is reportedly on the verge of finalizing a deal to acquire Dutch payments firm MultiSafepay for approximately US$200 million. This strategic move is part of Ant Group's broader initiative to extend its presence in Western markets, following its acquisition of UK international payments firm WorldFirst in 2019 for US$700 million.

In its pursuit of global expansion, Ant Group had previously entered the Singaporean market through the acquisition of 2C2P in 2022. Known for operating the cross-border payments platform Alipay alongside its affiliate Alibaba Group, Ant Group has established itself as a key player in the worldwide financial services market.

MultiSafepay, generating an annual revenue of US$50 million, is poised to become a valuable addition to Ant Group's European portfolio. Unlike many companies, MultiSafepay has achieved substantial growth organically, with no external investment, expanding from its native market into Spain and Germany.

Ant Group's latest acquisition involves obtaining 100% ownership of MultiSafepay, a company renowned for providing payments acquiring and processing services to over 18,000 SMEs. Moreover, MultiSafepay collaborates with commercial partners to offer supplementary services to its clients. In 2022, the Dutch firm recorded a net profit of US$1.43 million on gross income totaling US$13.02 million. With this impending deal, MultiSafepay's CEO, Olaf Geurs, is expected to pass the reins to Ant Group.

SOURCE: Fintech Magazine
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FirstOntario's Open Banking Readiness with Flinks and Everlink

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Canadian credit union FirstOntario has teamed up with API developer Flinks and payment technology firm Everlink to bolster its open banking services in anticipation of Canada's open banking framework launch in 2025.

This partnership is set to provide greater control over financial data to FirstOntario's members, enabling the credit union to deliver a more personalized range of financial services. Lloyd Smith, CEO of FirstOntario, emphasizes the importance of this capability as a "key strategic priority" and underscores the readiness to offer this emerging service once legislatively enabled, given the anticipation surrounding open banking in the marketplace.

Flinks, headquartered in Montreal and majority-owned by the National Bank of Canada, and Everlink, based in Markham, joined forces in March 2023 to spearhead the adoption of consumer-driven banking in Canada. They achieved this by combining Flinks' open banking infrastructure product, Outbound, with Everlink's digital solutions.

This collaboration aligns with the federal government of Canada's initiative, unveiled last November, to implement an open banking framework in its upcoming budget. The framework is slated to be nationally operational in 2025, prompting financial institutions like FirstOntario to establish partnerships with suitable providers in preparation.

Yves-Gabriel Leboeuf, CEO of Flinks, notes the growing momentum for a consumer-driven financial industry, emphasizing that the inclusion of open banking functionality within FirstOntario will "elevate the banking experience" for its members.

As per the federal Department of Finance, approximately 9 million Canadians currently use screen-scraping to share confidential banking credentials with service providers, posing privacy, liability, and security risks. Canada aims to replace this process with open banking, following the lead of countries such as Australia, the European Union, the UK, Japan, and Singapore.

SOURCE: Banking Frontiers
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Global Fintech Investment Drops 48% in 2023

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Global fintech investment totaled $51.2 billion in 2023, marking a significant 48% decline from the previous year's figure of $99 billion, according to data released by UK industry body Innovate Finance.

The number of funding deals also saw a notable reduction, with capital being distributed across a total of 3,973 deals compared to 6,397 deals recorded in 2022. The United States maintained its position as the leader in fintech funding by a considerable margin, attracting $24 billion across 1,530 deals. The UK secured the second spot with $5.1 billion, followed by India in third place with $2.5 billion. The UK's $5.1 billion in funding for 2023 was distributed across 409 deals, reflecting a 65% decrease from the previous year's $14.6 billion across 592 deals.

Innovate Finance highlights that this decline in funding aligns with trends observed in other major fintech markets, including the US, which experienced a 44% drop from 2022. An exception to this trend was the UAE, where investments surged by an impressive 92% compared to 2022. In the UK, female-led fintech companies attracted $536 million in 2023 across 59 deals, representing 10.5% of the country's total funding. The industry body also points out that "the UK received more investment in fintech than the next 28 European countries combined" throughout the year.

Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance, notes that despite economic challenges for fintech globally in 2023, the UK sector demonstrated resilience by maintaining its position as a global investment hub, ranking second only to the US and leading in Europe. Hirt sees a "clear opportunity" for UK fintechs to strengthen their presence in Asian markets, which collectively attracted "more combined investment than their European counterparts."

Innovate Finance compiled and summarized its report using data from PitchBook as of December 31, 2023.

SOURCE: Innovate Finance
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