AI and machine learning (ML) have become cornerstones of fintech

 AI and machine learning (ML) have become cornerstones of fintech, driving innovations across various domains in 2025. Here are the key areas where AI is revolutionizing fintech operations and decision-making:

1. Enhanced Risk Management: AI and ML models analyze massive amounts of data, detecting patterns that would be impossible for humans to identify. This allows fintech companies to predict and mitigate risks in real time, reducing exposure to fraud and credit default. AI-driven credit scoring systems have become more accurate, allowing financial institutions to assess risks more holistically.

2. Automated Decision-Making: AI streamlines decision-making processes by automating routine tasks such as loan approvals, customer verification, and transaction monitoring. This automation enables faster processing times, reducing customer friction and freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.

3. Personalized Financial Products: AI's ability to analyze user behavior and preferences allows fintech companies to offer highly personalized financial products and services. Machine learning algorithms create tailored investment portfolios, personalized loan products, and customized insurance plans based on the unique needs of individuals and businesses.

4. Fraud Detection and Prevention: With the rise of digital transactions, fraud has become a significant concern in fintech. AI systems are revolutionizing fraud detection by monitoring vast datasets, identifying unusual patterns, and flagging potentially fraudulent activities in real time. These systems continuously learn and adapt to new threats, making fraud prevention more effective over time.

5. Customer Service and Engagement: AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants are reshaping customer service in fintech. These systems handle queries 24/7, provide personalized advice, and help customers manage their finances more effectively. The increased use of natural language processing (NLP) ensures that interactions feel more human-like and responsive.

6. Algorithmic Trading: AI and ML have taken algorithmic trading to new heights. By processing vast amounts of market data, these algorithms make faster and more informed trading decisions. AI helps predict market trends and optimize trading strategies, giving fintech firms a competitive edge in the stock and cryptocurrency markets.

   
   
   

7. Regulatory Compliance: Regulatory technologies (RegTech) powered by AI help fintech companies stay compliant with ever-evolving regulations. AI systems can automatically track changes in financial laws, identify areas of non-compliance, and ensure that companies adhere to legal standards, thereby reducing the risk of penalties and enhancing trust with regulators.

8. Blockchain and Smart Contracts: AI is playing a significant role in enhancing the security and efficiency of blockchain technology. In fintech, AI-driven smart contracts automatically execute transactions when predefined conditions are met, eliminating the need for intermediaries and ensuring transparency and security in financial agreements.

In 2025, fintech operations in India and globally are no longer just about processing data but about deriving actionable insights that inform better business decisions. AI's continuous learning capability ensures that fintech firms can stay agile, innovative, and customer-focused in an increasingly competitive market.

Automated technology to handle 43% of work by 2030: Report

Automated technology to handle 43% of work by 2030 

According to the World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025", the UAE is expected to experience significant job market disruptions, ranking 11th globally in terms of anticipated changes. The report predicts that by 2030, 43% of work tasks in the UAE will be handled by autonomous technologies. This shift is a part of a broader trend where businesses are increasingly integrating automation and AI to enhance efficiency.

In response to these anticipated disruptions, 28% of UAE employers plan to upskill their workforce to adapt to these technological changes. Upskilling will likely focus on equipping workers with the necessary skills to work alongside AI and automation technologies, as well as to take on roles that require human creativity, judgment, and strategic thinking.

This report highlights the accelerating pace of automation and the need for businesses and governments to prepare the workforce for these changes, ensuring that workers can transition to new roles and remain relevant in an evolving job market.

World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025" as it pertains to the UAE.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• High Level of Automation: The UAE is poised for significant automation, with 43% of work tasks projected to be handled by autonomous technologies. This signifies a rapid shift in how work is performed.
• Focus on Upskilling: Recognizing the need for a skilled workforce in this changing landscape, a significant portion of employers (28%) are prioritizing upskilling initiatives. This proactive approach is crucial to ensure that the workforce remains competitive and adaptable.
• Importance of Human Skills: The report implicitly emphasizes the importance of human skills that cannot be easily replicated by machines, such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. These skills will be highly valued in the future of work.   
• Need for Workforce Adaptation: The report serves as a strong reminder of the urgent need for individuals and governments to prepare for the future of work. This includes investing in education and training programs that equip individuals with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly automated world.

Overall, the report provides valuable insights into the evolving nature of work in the UAE and highlights the importance of proactive measures to ensure a smooth and successful transition to an increasingly automated future.

Mercedes-Benz’s Virtual Assistant uses Google’s conversational AI agent

Mercedes-Benz’s Virtual Assistant uses Google’s conversational AI agent

Mercedes-Benz’s virtual assistant, MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), has integrated Google's conversational AI technology to enhance its capabilities. This collaboration allows MBUX to provide more advanced natural language processing and understanding, making the in-car experience more intuitive for users.

With the integration of Google's AI, Mercedes-Benz aims to offer more natural and responsive voice commands, improving functions like navigation, media control, and personalized assistance. This enhancement enables the virtual assistant to better understand and predict user needs, creating a seamless and user-friendly experience.

 Mercedes-Benz's latest MBUX Virtual Assistant, introduced in the new Mercedes CLA at CES 2024, incorporates Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent platform. This platform is designed to enhance the driving experience by supporting continuous, multi-turn conversations and referencing information throughout the journey.

Unlike the older version of MBUX, which could process around 20 voice commands (like “Hey Mercedes”) and relied on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing for search results, the new system is far more advanced. It’s built on Google Cloud's Vertex AI development platform and powered by Google's Gemini language model. The upgraded MBUX Virtual Assistant is capable of handling complex conversational queries, providing nearly real-time Google Maps updates, restaurant reviews, recommendations, and more. Its ability to process multi-turn dialogues means it can maintain context over multiple interactions, making it much more dynamic and intuitive.

The assistant's new design includes four distinct personality traits: natural, predictive, personal, and empathetic, enhancing its ability to offer more tailored, human-like responses. It also improves upon clarity by asking follow-up questions when needed to ensure accuracy in its responses.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the transformational potential of these AI-driven "agentic" capabilities in the automotive industry, suggesting this is just the beginning of a more personalized, intelligent in-car experience. While the new system is being launched with the next-generation MB.OS operating system in the CLA, Mercedes plans to roll out this advanced assistant to additional models in the future. However, specific models haven't been named yet.

What are Google's big plans for AI

What are Google's big plans for AI

Google is making significant strides in artificial intelligence (AI) for 2025, focusing on the development and integration of its Gemini AI model across various platforms and services. CEO Sundar Pichai has outlined ambitious plans to introduce new AI products and features in the coming months, aiming to reach 500 million users with the Gemini AI model and app.

Key Developments:

• Gemini AI Integration: Google plans to integrate the Gemini AI model into multiple products, enhancing user experiences across its ecosystem. This includes updates to Google TV, enabling users to search for content and ask questions without the need to say "Hey Google."

• Automotive AI Collaboration: In collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, Google is integrating its conversational AI agent into the next-generation MB.OS operating system. This integration aims to provide drivers with a more interactive and personalized experience, leveraging Google Maps data for real-time updates and recommendations.

• Advancements in AI Research: Google DeepMind is forming a new team to develop "world models" capable of simulating physical environments. This initiative targets applications in video games, movies, and realistic training scenarios for robots and AI systems, aligning with Google's ambition to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI).

• AI-Powered Search Enhancements: Google plans to introduce significant changes to its search engine in 2025, aiming to enhance its capability to address more complex queries. Users can expect substantial improvements early in the year, reflecting a profound transformation in AI.

The Artificial Intelligence is also capable of reading the history

 The Artificial Intelligence is also capable of reading the history

From the papyrus of Herculaneum to lost languages. A greater revolution within the great revolution, never seen before.

New tools based on Artificial Intelligence (IA) are making it possible to read old texts.

    One of the texts that from the Herculaneum papyruses found in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, fragile enough to be unrolled, passing through the vast archive of the kings of 27 Korean kings who lived between the 14th century and the beginning of the 20th century, continues proceeding tables of Crete of the 2nd millennium BC, exculpations with the complicated writing called Lineal B.

    The AI ​​is revolutionizing the sector and generating cantidades of data never before seen, as the Nature magazine points out in an analysis published on the web.

    One of the most important results that is obtaining knowledge of neural networks - models composed of artificial neurons and inspired in the structure of the cerebro- has to be found with the Herculaneum papyrus.

    Thanks to the international competition Vesuvius Challenge, which will take place in 2023, in which more than 1,000 research groups will participate, it is possible to first decipher not only the letters and words, but also entire extracts of carbonized texts.

    "This moment really reminds me: now I'm experiencing something that will be a historic moment in my field," comments Federica Nicolardi, papyrologist from the Federico II University of Naples who is participating in the competition.

    To obtain the reading of the papy

rus, a virtual rolling technique was developed, which scans the rolls thanks to the X-ray tomography, but each head is rolled and rolled in a flat image.

    Furthermore, the AI ​​distinguishes the carbon-based dye, invisible on the skins because it has the same density of the papyrus on which it rests.

    In February 2024, the $700,000 prize was awarded to three investigators who produced 16 clearly readable columns of text, but the competition continues.

    The next prize of $200,000 will be awarded to the first few who achieve 90% of four papyrus cards.

    This method opens the way to reading other texts that are now inaccessible, such as the hidden ones in the settings of medieval books or in the books that were sent to Egyptian mothers.

    Without counting how hundreds or thousands of papyrus can still be found in the bay of Herculaneum.

    "Everyone would be one of the greatest discoveries in the history of humanity," says Brent Seales, from the University of Kentucky, creator of the Vesuvius Challenge.

    The first great project that demonstrated the potential of AI born at the University of Oxford in 2017 with the aim of deciphering gray inscriptions found in Sicily where many parts were broken.

    The efforts of the investigators produced a red neural called Ithaca, which is freely accessible on the Internet.

    Ithaca can restore the parts that are missing with 62% accuracy, compared to 25% of a human expert, but when the red neural reaches the investigators the accuracy drops to 72%.

    AI is also fundamental in other ways: for example, read one of the largest historical archives in the world, formed by diary records that contain the records of 27 Korean kings written in Hanja, an ancient writing system based on Chinese characters.

    Or, on the contrary, decipher an ancient language from which only a few texts survive, such as the 1,100 proceeding tables of Knossos (Crete), which contain information about shepherds.

    But the enormous amount of data that the algorithms are gradually revealing poses a great challenge: "There are not enough papyrus scientists", says Nicolardi.

    “We will probably try to create a much bigger global community than the current one,” added Seales.

    For experts, the fear that AI can relegate conventional knowledge and skills to a secondary level is unfounded.

    “The AI ​​is making the work of papyrus more relevant than ever before,” says Richard Ovenden, head of the Oxford University Bodleian Library.

What impact does artificial intelligence have on energy demand?

What impact does artificial intelligence have on energy demand?

Data centers, including those that power generative artificial intelligence, are increasingly using electricity. Yet they are expected to account for only a small share of overall electricity demand growth through 2030.

The Price of Magic

Using ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude, one can only be amazed at the speed of calculation of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This "magic" that seems to reason, search the internet and create content from scratch requires computer data centers to function. And who says computer centers says significant electricity consumption.

Business Logic

Martin Deron, project manager for the Chemins de transition digital challenge, a research project affiliated with the Université de Montréal, notes that a few years ago, the carbon footprint of digital came mainly from the manufacturing of devices such as phones, tablets and computers. “The impact of the data centres where we store our data was less significant in our total digital footprint,” he says. “Also, the companies that own these centres have a business logic. They try to minimize costs, particularly energy costs.”

6%

This dynamic has led to data centers becoming much more efficient. From 2010 to 2018, they increased their capacity by more than 550% worldwide. However, the total energy they consume has only increased by 6%, according to a study published in 2020 in the journal Science . “So even if our digital uses have increased, the carbon footprint of data centers has not increased that much because of innovation and technical improvements,” says Martin Deron. “However, generative AI is challenging this.”

Demand on the rise

The demands for training models, as well as generating new data, require the establishment of more data centers. "And the centers are reaching the limit of available energy. We hear that companies like Microsoft, Google or Amazon are going to launch or restart power plants to produce the electricity they need. Everything suggests that the demand for energy in this sector will increase in the coming years."

By 2030

The world’s data centers account for about 2% of electricity demand today. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that data center electricity demand will account for about 3% of the increase in global electricity demand by 2030, partly due to AI. Other uses, such as industrial needs, buildings, electric vehicles, and air conditioning and heating, are expected to account for a much larger share of electricity demand growth.

Local demand

In a recent analysis , 1 Oxford University data scientist Hannah Ritchie noted that data center demand for electricity is highly localized and is likely to affect certain locations more than overall electricity consumption. “For example, Microsoft has made a deal to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. But Three Mile Island can only produce 0.2% of the electricity produced in the United States each year, or 0.02% of the electricity produced globally each year,” Ritchie wrote .  “There is still a lot of uncertainty. The demand for energy from AI will increase, but perhaps less than we think.”

AI will not replace our ability to think

 “AI will not replace our ability to think”

Artificial intelligence is intruding into young people's daily lives, from resume writing to dating apps. How are they experiencing this technological revolution? High school and CEGEP students speak out.

Between fascination and vigilance

It's inspiring, but it's also scary, because it's not the truth , says Jérémie about computer-generated images. Rita notes the omnipresence of AI on social networks, where it sometimes becomes invasive , while Camila worries about the risk of intellectual laziness: Humans like what is simple. Her solution? Set limits on yourself. Noémie agrees: You have to use it for ideas, to go beyond the blank page... but then you have to know how to choose well.

Thoughtful uses

These observations emerge from AI workshops organized by Radio-Canada in the fall of 2024 in public libraries. The initiative aims to demystify technology among young people while cultivating their critical thinking.

As the discussions progressed, the uses of AI proved to be as varied as they were creative. Raphaël found it to be a support for his dyslexia, gaining confidence in French. Zakaria used it to program: It is literally an educational tool. I create video games, I am a beginner, and AI allows me to learn faster. For writing CVs, many see it as a valuable help, while ensuring that their authenticity is preserved. The same observation applies to dating apps: there is no question of pretending to be someone else. 

Zora sums up the situation: if parents are afraid that it will replace the ability to think , for her it is a question of learning to use AI wisely, like social networks.

Voices to be heard

Several reports highlight the importance of making more room for young people in discussions on the supervision and development of AI. In a report published in 2024, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) recommends including children and adolescents in the research and development of AI technologies . A position that is in line with the Strategic Directions on AI for Children published by UNICEF in 2021.

For Yoshua Bengio, founder and scientific director of Mila, the Quebec artificial intelligence institute, young people are not heard enough in these debates. AI will change the world, he says. The decisions we make must take everyone's interests into account. A concern shared by Jérémie: AI is an extraordinary tool. The important thing is to learn how to use it well, while respecting what is fundamentally human.

AI  : Next Generation

The thoughts of young people cross those of researchers, artists and professionals in a special program that will be presented on Sunday, January 5 at 8  p.m. on ICI PREMIÈRE, with Chloé Sondervorst. Together, they explore four dimensions of our future in relation to AI  : learning, creation, work and social relations.

Guests  : Sasha Luccioni, Head of AI and Climate at Hugging Face, Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director of Mila, the Quebec Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Martine Bertrand, Artificial Intelligence Specialist, Industrial, Light and Magic, Noel Baldwin, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre, Andréane Sabourin Laflamme, Professor of Philosophy at Collège André-Laurendeau and Co-Founder of the Digital Ethics and AI Laboratory, Keivan Farzaneh, Senior Techno-Educational Advisor at Collège Sainte-Anne, Kerlando Morette, Entrepreneur, President and Founder of AddAd Media, Jocelyne Agnero, Project Manager, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi downtown Montreal, Douaa Kachache, Comedian, Matthieu Dugal, Host, Marie-José Montpetit, Digital Technology Researcher and Elias Djemil-Matassov, Multidisciplinary Artist.

These workshops were held in the Julio-Jean-Pierre library in Montreal North, the Monique-Corriveau library in Quebec City and the Créalab of the Robert-Lussier library in Repentigny with the participation of students and teachers from the De Rochebelle and Henri-Bourassa schools as well as students and teachers from the Cégep de Lanaudière in L'Assomption, and with the collaboration of IVADO and the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec.