AI in Fintech: The Truth About What's Working and What's Not
Relevantz stepped into Fintech South 2025 with one key message: Agentic AI is reimagining engineering itself—and transforming fintech in the process.
This perspective informed the discussion when our CEO, Dominic Savio, joined the CIO of Synovus and CTO of AvidxChange for a panel called Applications and Implications of AI in Fintech.
Instead of the usual AI hype, the conversation focused on what's actually working and what isn't.
Key Takeaways from the Session
1. AI Realities in Fintech
AI won't drastically reduce total cost of ownership.
AI will, however, improve go-to-market speed and boost developer productivity.
AI isn’t plug-and-play: most solutions aren't ready-made or instantly effective.
AI will not replace programmers anytime soon.
2. The Big Problem: AI That Can't Be Explained
In fintech's high-stakes, regulated environment, explainability isn't optional. If you can't explain how a model arrived at a decision, you risk losing both customer trust and regulatory approval. The risks are real:
Bias, hallucinations, and unpredictable outputs threaten system integrity.
Without proper governance, AI amplifies existing flaws rather than fixing them.
Inconsistent outputs make compliance impossible.
That's why many banks are starting with internal AI agents—where risk is lower and oversight is easier. Customer-facing applications will become more widespread, but only once two critical challenges are solved: explainability and repeatability.
3. Real Use Cases Are Emerging—Especially Internally
Fintechs are seeing traction with AI in internal operations, where risk is lower and ROI is easier to measure. That’s where most of the focus is today—but some lower-risk, customer-facing applications are beginning to emerge as well.
Internal Operations
Real-time anomaly detection
Automated dispute handling and chargeback resolution
PO-to-invoice matching and claim data extraction
Customer-Facing Applications
AI-enhanced onboarding and IVR-based payments
Embedded finance with AI-driven personalization
Conversational agents for customer service
4. Data Is the Foundation—and the Risk
AI success starts with data quality. Poor data creates amplified errors—garbage in, garbage out.
The fix: Build robust data pipelines. Then categorize, label, and catalog your information. This structured approach enables effective model training and RAG implementations.
5. Legacy Infrastructure Isn't a Barrier—If You're Strategic
AI success starts with data quality. Poor data creates amplified errors—garbage in, garbage out.
You don't need to modernize everything before adding AI. Phased integration allows legacy systems and AI to grow together. Just test and validate to avoid misfires.
6. Measuring ROI Requires a New Lens
Traditional metrics still matter, but they don't tell the full story. The panel emphasized a more holistic approach:
Focus on how AI enables people to do more.
Use multiple engineering metrics together—not in isolation.
Use "dark launches" to validate performance before customer exposure, gathering real data on efficiency gains and process improvement.
The Bottom Line
So, how do you actually engineer fintech solutions that work in the age of agentic AI?
Don't chase every new trend. Get your data foundation right first. Take a phased approach. Start with low-risk internal use cases, then expand outward.
Odysseython 2025: Empowering Innovation Through Collaboration
In keeping with the AI theme, Relevantz hosted Odysseython 2025: a 20-day innovation sprint where cross-functional teams tackled real-world business challenges drawn from client engagements
Our developers focused on AI integration, rapid prototyping, and collaborative problem-solving.
Final demos were presented to senior leadership.
Winning teams were recognized for originality and impact.
Why It Matters to You
The prototypes developed are already being explored for real-world application, with the potential to deliver measurable value to our clients.
We’re One of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work!
Relevantz is honored to be recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top 20 Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
