Book Reviews

Decoding AI in Financial Services

Business Implications for Boards and Professionals

In praise for this book:

"Clara does a masterful job of explaining AI in simple terms and then lays out all the areas within financial services that will be transformed and disrupted by AI in the coming years and decades. I find her holistic, human value-centric view to be very compelling and timely as we go about understanding, applying, and scaling arguably the most powerful human innovation in history.

Finally, her views on the leadership and organizational challenges associated with the successful and responsible adoption of AI for maximizing societal benefit and minimizing harm is both very insightful and timely.”

—Manoj Saxena, Chairman of Cognitive Scale and the first GM of IBM Watson, Austin, TX, US

“For boards, the format is information rich, sharp, complete, and structured to help any director or practitioner get to the root of any contemporary AI challenge. The book cuts through the clouds of hype and misinformation surrounding the transformative powers of Artificial intelligence.

Covering common AI terms, definitions, and capabilities essential to analyse or strategise this book provides clear questions and targeted frameworks to run, manage, partner, or acquire AI sector companies. Importantly, the future ecosystems evolving and the ethics that should underpin them are covered extensively in a digestible clarity I haven’t seen before.

This is an outstanding reference and extraordinary resource that will be a landmark publication. Pure value. Pure actionable insight.”

—Colin Bennett, Head of Digital Distribution (Global), GAM Investments, London, UK

"A must read and essential guide for all, including boards, venture capitalists, operators, and academics looking to understand how AI is transforming Financial Services. She succinctly captures the current state, clarifies how it is all reshaping, and concludes with how we deal with what’s next.”

—Ron Suber, Chairman of Credible and Fintech board adviser and investor, San Francisco, CA, US

"How could one book take a neophyte from nothing to an understanding of what questions a Board should be asking? Well it does!

Clara has written a book that demystifies the jargon, while comprehensively covering the subject from both a technical level to strategic issues. There is a wealth of information and reference to further reading material for everyone from the new Chief Digital Officer to all the C-suite and the Board.

I particularly like the plentiful use of current examples around the world of who is utilizing the different forms of AI and in what applications.”

— John Meinhold, Independent Advisor and Financial Institutions Board Member, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

“A comprehensive analysis of AI, its origins, uses, and application, both current and potential, for the financial services sector. This provides references for businesses, is thought-provoking, and is a useful guide for firms.”

— Liz Field, CEO of Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association, London, UK

“As AI becomes increasingly more prevalent within the financial services sector, Decoding AI in Financial Services is a must-read for companies that want to stay ahead of the curve. Clara Durodié is able to make sense of the most complicated of concepts, making this book an essential tool for those who are new to the AI space and those who are also driving the financial service industry’s AI solutions."

— Donna M. Parisi, Partner and Global Head of Financial Services, Shearman & Sterling LLP, New York

"Clara Durodié’s book is one of the most thoroughly researched and well-written books on AI out there, written specifically for the business reader at a time when AI is changing the world, and more specifically the service delivery models of most financial organisations and institutions.”

— Dr George Zarkadakis, Digital Lead, Willis Towers Watson, science writer with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and author of In Our Own Image, London, UK

“Clara Durodié demystifies AI by outlining its value and applicability as a tool to unleash the power of data. It thoroughly examines the technical, ethical, and business implications of delivering AI at scale which will set the stage for the data driven future of financial services.”

— Mike H. Blalock, General Manager, Financial Services Industry Vertical, Intel Corporation