2026 Artificial Intelligence in Banking Conference
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Conference Series is a multi-part virtual program designed to help banking professionals move beyond AI theory and into real-world understanding and application. Across three focused morning sessions, this series explores how artificial intelligence is shaping banking operations today—and how institutions can responsibly prepare for what’s next.
Sessions cover AI from multiple angles, including AI in banking strategy and governance, practical AI use cases across business lines, and the technology foundations powering modern AI systems. Attendees will gain insight into how AI impacts risk management, compliance, cybersecurity, customer experience, data management, and decision-making—while also addressing regulatory expectations and emerging challenges.
Led by experienced practitioners and technology experts, the series blends strategic oversight with hands-on insight, helping banks understand where AI fits in their organization, how it can be implemented safely, and what questions leadership should be asking now. Whether you’re just beginning your AI journey or refining existing initiatives, this conference series provides the clarity and perspective needed to move forward with confidence.
Schedule:
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Conference Welcome
Vaibhav Sharma
9:05 am - 9:15 am
The Importance of Technology in Banking
Dr. Kevin Streff
9:15 am - 9:25 am
The Importance of Artificial Intelligence
9:30 am - 10:20 am
AI Decoded: From Prediction to Agentic Action
Demystify the 2026 AI landscape in this overview. We will decode the evolution from Machine Learning and GenAI to the game-changing Agentic AI. Learn how these technologies are transforming the world and discover practical strategies to move your organization from passive analysis to autonomous execution.
Daniel Wu
10:30 am - 11:20 am
From Automation to Intelligence: AI’s Strategic Impact on Financial Services,
Larry Pruss This presentation explores how artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from basic automation into powerful generative and agentic systems that are beginning to outperform average human performance across many tasks. It positions AI as a spectrum of capabilities ranging from rules-based automation and predictive analytics to modern large language models that can reason, generate content, and interact conversationally. For financial institutions, AI is framed as a strategic necessity rather than a tactical experiment. The presentation highlights significant productivity gains, rising industry investment, and the potential for generative AI to unlock hundreds of billions of dollars in value through improved customer experience, fraud detection, credit decisioning, operational efficiency, and software development. While most banks and credit unions have started with low-risk use cases such as chatbots and fraud detection, the real opportunity lies in integrating AI across the full financial services value chain. At the same time, the presentation emphasizes the growing risks around governance, bias, deepfakes, cybersecurity, and regulatory scrutiny. The core message is that generative AI is becoming embedded in everyday financial systems, and institutions that fail to adopt and govern it effectively risk falling behind both fintech competitors and rising customer expectations.
Larry Pruss
11:30 am - 12:20 pm
AI Product Management & Data Strategy in Banking & Financial Services
Business & Product leaders are tasked with launching AI. Still, many initiatives fail due to weak data readiness, integrations & governance, overall data & model quality, and alignment between business, product and data teams. To succeed, leaders must lead with a strategy grounded in strong Data Foundations. This follows the development of a robust 90-day priority for the organization and stakeholders involved.
Sarfraz Nawaz
12:30 pm - 12:50 pm
Day 1 AI Panel
Dr. Kevin Streff
Daniel Wu
Larry Pruss
9:00 am - 9:50 am
Practical Considerations for Use of Machine Learning Models in Banking, Rohit Rana
This session explores the application of machine learning in risk management, designed specifically for executive leadership. It examines how machine learning models can outperform traditional decisioning tools across credit decisions, account management, and collections. The discussion also addresses how leaders should govern the use of advanced models, balancing performance with transparency, and navigating regulatory and compliance considerations arising from model explainability.
Rohit Rana
10:00 am - 10:50 am
Intro to Agentic AI with tools and probable use cases
An executive-level introduction to Agentic AI for community banks and credit unions. This session demystifies AI agents, highlights regulator-aligned tools such as LLMs, workflow orchestrators, and decision engines, and presents practical lending use cases including financial analysis, underwriting support, and human-in-the-loop credit approvals.
Ari Kopmar
11:00 am - 11:50 am
A Banker's "Odyssey" from Punch Cards and MICR Coding to RPA and AI
This presentation will contain Ai Overview for Ai and RPA relationship with examples. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are complementary technologies often described as the hands and the brains of business automation, respectively. While distinct In function, their integration—known as Intelligent Automation (IA) or Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)—enables end-to-end automation of complex business workflows.
Gary Lewis Evans
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm
Day 2 AI Panel
Dr. Kevin Streff
Vaibhav Sharma
David A. Frances
Sarfraz Nawaz
9:00 am - 9:50 am
AI Governance Landscape 2026
Day 3 is where it gets real: risk, regulation, and control. Day 1 showed what AI can do, and Day 2 showed where it fits in banking. In AI Governance Landscape 2026, Ken Johnston cuts through the noise of fast-moving AI rules and standards and delivers a practical view of what’s coming—and what regulators will expect. You’ll leave with a clear way to tier AI use cases by risk, define minimum controls, and build the evidence trail that lets you scale AI faster without increasing exposure. If you want the rest of the conference to translate into confident decisions, don’t miss this session live.
Ken Johnston
10:00 am - 10:50 am
AI in Finance and Risk
Discover how AI is revolutionizing financial risk management in community and neobanking. From advanced credit underwriting and real-time fraud detection to regulatory compliance and ethical governance, this session draws on practical implementations to balance innovation with robust risk mitigation in today's dynamic banking landscape.
Ronald Ingram
11:00 am - 11:50 am
AI Operational and Cyber Risk Management
AI can create operational opportunities and risks. This session outline specific cyber risks that AI system introduce. Over 20 AI cyber risks are reviewed and evaluated to serve as the foundation for the IT risk management program. Other operational risks are outlined for risk management and compliance program considerations.
Dr. Kevin Streff
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
AI Decoded: From Prediction to Agentic Action
Join Ronald Ingram for a personal and practical exploration of AI's evolution in banking, from predictive Machine Learning to generative models and transformative Agentic AI. Drawing from his experiences leading Maxwell State Bank, Ingram shares real-world demos—like training AI during a board meeting to analyze agreements, regulations, and underwrite a loan in real time—highlighting future use cases for neobanks. Emphasizing AI as an amplifier of human innovation, creativity, and efficiency (not a replacement for critical thinking), this session offers actionable best practices for safe adoption, risk management, and turning AI into a trusted partner for digital banking success. Attendees will gain insights to experiment responsibly and build AI-driven strategies for speed, personalization, and growth.
Ronald Ingram
12:30 pm - 12:50 pm
Day 3 AI Panel
Dr. Kevin Streff
Vaibhav Sharma
Ken Johnston
Ronald Ingram
