Finance in the Age of AI, Cryptocurrency, and Big Data

The transformation of finance over the past few years has been profound, as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cryptocurrency have merged to create a highly complex industry that continues to rapidly evolve. For Antoinette Schoar (Stewart C. Myers-Horn Family Professor of Finance; Professor, Finance), finding meaningful patterns within this structure is both a passion and a calling. Schoar's work reveals the extraordinary opportunities that are hidden inside this shifting mosaic: new finance models enable more entrepreneurs to launch companies, venture capitalists can lower their risk and increase their chance of success, and variations in cryptocurrency valuations by country reflect the value of trust in traditional institutions. When used wisely, data and AI can also help remove bias from hiring and other critical processes. Along with these opportunities, however, come new challenges that will require society to engage in difficult conversations--and the outcomes will shape the future of finance.