On September 10th, the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University successfully hosted the Insight Forum "AI in Finance: From Innovation to Application" at the 2025 Inclusion Conference on the Bund.
As artificial intelligence transitions from theoretical exploration to large-scale implementation, the financial industry—with its data-rich environment and diverse application scenarios—has emerged as a pivotal field for AI advancement. The forum examined how technological innovation can empower financial transformation and build a more dynamic, resilient AI-enabled financial ecosystem.
The forum brought together leading voices from academia and industry, including Guangshao Tu, Founding Chair of the SAIF Board; Shijun Cheng, Executive Dean and Chair Professor of Accounting at SAIF; Shi Jin, Director of the Institute of Natural Science at SJTU; Jianhui Wen, Vice President of Zhipu AI; Min Wang, Executive Vice President of ZhongAn Insurance―alongside numerous scholars, industry experts, and senior executives from universities, research institutes, technology enterprises, and financial institutions.
SAIF leadership emphasized AI's transformative potential in their opening addresses. Executive Dean Shijun Cheng highlighted that AI is not only improving operational efficiency but also helping build a more resilient and inclusive global financial system. He reaffirmed SAIF's commitment to supporting national strategies and advancing finance-technology integration through enhanced industry-academia collaboration.
Founding Chair Guangshao Tu outlined five critical dimensions for achieving sustainable AI integration in finance: objectively assessing current adoption, ensuring alignment with financial industry requirements, analyzing systemic impacts, conducting forward-looking trend analysis, and building supportive ecosystems.
A highlight of the forum was the strategic cooperation signing ceremony between SAIF and Shanghai Data Group, conducted by Qigui Zhu, Associate Director of CAFR and Distinguished Professor of SJTU; and Feng Lyu, Vice President of Shanghai Data Group. This collaboration leverages both institutions' strengths in financial research and data resources, focusing on joint think tank projects, co-hosted events, and talent development programs to advance "Finance + Data" applications.
Keynote Insights on Quantum Computing and Industry Transformation
Shi Jin delivered a keynote address on "Integrated Applications of AI and Quantum Computing in Finance," highlighting AI's current constraints—high resource demands, unpredictability, and generalization limits—while positioning quantum computing as a transformative solution. He emphasized its potential applications in financial modeling, derivatives pricing, data analysis, and investment management―underscoring China's strategic emphasis on quantum technology as a foundation for next-generation AI.
Min Wang presented "Intelligent Transformation: Embracing a Certain Path to High-Quality Development," offering systematic analysis of AI transformation trends in banking and insurance based on practical experience. Wang emphasized that focus has shifted from "AI + Industry" to "Industry + AI," wherein success depends upon deep domain expertise rather than generic technical solutions. He highlighted the growing importance of cross-sector partnerships and interdisciplinary talent, noting that AI should augment—not replace—human capabilities.
Expert Roundtables on Regulation and Strategy
Two comprehensive roundtable sessions explored regulatory frameworks and transformation strategies. The first session―moderated by Xiaochun Liu, Affiliate Professor of SAIF and Deputy Director of CAFR―brought together Ming Xu, Professor at East China University of Political Science and Law; Shuo Bai, Chief Scientist at Hundsun Technologies; Yangyong Zhu, Academic Vice President of Shanghai Data Academy; Jin Nie, Head of United Finance AI Business; and Haiying Ni, Assistant Director of SAIFR. Experts agreed that regulations should establish boundaries while guiding innovation, with particular attention to data privacy and talent development.
The second session―chaired by Tian Meng, Executive Director of the Shanghai Fintech Research Center―featured Feng Yu, CIO of Guotai Haitong Securities; Yulin Kang, Chief Scientist of Ant Consumer Finance; Zhengqi Ge, CSO of Wind Information; Gang Cao, General Manager of Financial AI Products at Ant Digital Technologies; and Miao Zheng, Deputy General Manager at Alibaba Cloud. Participants emphasized that AI transformation must prioritize compliance while addressing challenges in data quality and system performance, envisioning future development toward self-iterating models and personalized AI applications.
The event was part of SAIF's Distinguished Speaker Series and received support from the United Finance Digital Economy Research Institute, with media partnerships from Sina Finance and Shanghai Securities News.
