Today's Wales-USA World Cup match. Things with which this World Cup is laden so far: Geopolitical intrigue and controversy. FIFA is touting an AI-powered decision-making system that will use sensors in the actual soccer ball to help determine calls. A vast network of facial recognition-enabled cameras will track the crowd, with technology in the same family as that deployed by the controversial firm Clearview AI. AI-powered sensors in the stadiums will even help control the climate.

Artificial intelligence is giving finance a boost -- through robo advising, its ability to improve fraud detection and claims processing, and more. Despite the upsides, there are risks and public policy challenges that must be considered, said Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and a former professor at MIT Sloan. "I think that we're living in a truly transformational time," said Gensler, who spoke at the recent AI Policy Forum summit at MIT. Artificial intelligence is "every bit as transformational as the internet," especially when it comes to predictive data analytics, "but it comes with some risks." During the conversation, Gensler shared his thoughts on how artificial intelligence is changing finance. Having solid predictive models is crucial in AI, whether it's in social media or in driverless cars.