On 2 October 2025, more than 2,000 participants gathered in Oerlikon to explore one of today’s most transformative topics: the impact of artificial intelligence on business, science, and society. The large-scale event, organised in collaboration with the ETH AI Center, ZHAW, and the University of Zurich, brought together experts and innovators from across disciplines to share perspectives and real-world applications of AI.
The Institute for Wealth & Asset Management contributed with a dedicated session on AI in Financial Services, examining how the technology is reshaping processes, decision-making, and customer interaction.
Part I – Trends and Developments
The first part of the session, led by Dr. Patrick Hauf, focused on the latest trends in AI adoption within the financial sector, particularly in Switzerland. Dr. Hauf highlighted two main drivers behind the growing momentum:
- Efficiency, accessibility, and affordability – AI technologies are becoming increasingly powerful and cost-effective, enabling new business models and innovative applications.
- Responsible AI and evaluation frameworks – As trust and transparency improve, so does the willingness of organisations to integrate AI into their core operations.
A lively panel discussion followed, featuring:
- Christian Diethelm (UBS), who shared how UBS is leading the way in organisation-wide AI implementation.
- Claudia Schulz (Thomson Reuters), who reminded the audience that even the most capable agentic AI still depends on human expertise, particularly for evaluation and decision-making.
- Axel Pohl (LLamify), who emphasised that agentic systems must be context-specific, as there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution.
Part II – AI in Practice
In the second part, chaired by Dr. Tomasz Orpiszewski (ZHAW), three practical use cases showcased how AI is being applied to real business and research challenges.
- AI for ESG Risk Prediction – Dr. Tomasz Orpiszewski presented collaborative research with RepRisk AG, demonstrating how Natural Language Processing (NLP) and geospatial data can be combined to predict ESG risks at both company and country levels.
- Geospatial AI for Business – Isabelle Wittmann (IBM Research) introduced TerraMind, a Geospatial AI Foundation Model that leverages remote sensing data to solve complex business problems.
- AI in Finance – Srividhya Padmanabhan (LEND.ch) and Dr. Marc Weibel (ZHAW) showcased how Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) can streamline onboarding, enhance credit assessment, and improve customer experience.
A Look Ahead
The event offered not only deep insights but also a glimpse into the collaborative spirit shaping the next generation of AI-driven innovation. It brought together academia, industry, and technology pioneers united by a common goal: to use AI responsibly and effectively to transform Financial Services—and beyond.
A big thank you to all participants and speakers for an inspiring day full of ideas that will continue to drive change across industries.
