At the recent Fintech & AI Business Retreat, held at the beautiful Hotel Château Bela in Slovakia, our colleagues, Benedek Juhász (COO, Peak) and István Sajtos (Head of Platform, Peak) had the chance to participate in a roundtable discussion focused on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fintech industry.
The two-day Fintech & AI Business Retreat featured a rich agenda combining expert talks, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Day one began with a series of insightful presentations on topics such as digitalization and AI in the financial sector; security challenges in banking infrastructure; and agentic AI models in banking, followed by a roundtable discussion with representatives of major Hungarian banks. The day concluded with a dinner and networking events.
The second day kicked off with presentations on building intelligent enterprises with AI and a discussion on preparing teams for AI implementation. It was culminated in a Peak-moderated roundtable on AI’s impact on the fintech sector, featuring top industry leaders. The day wrapped up with lunch and networking.
Peak panel discussion: AI’s impact on the fintech sector
The panel kicked off with a talk about the practical ways AI is already being used in banking. The group explored how banks are leveraging AI to streamline operations, improve customer experiences, and boost efficiency. Things got even more interesting when the conversation shifted to comparing GenAI with traditional AI, leading to some lively debates with experts like Sándor Olti (Co-founder & CBO, Intuitech) Zoltán Ács (President, Hungarian Fintech Association), and Máté Nemes (Cybersecurity Solutions Manager, Mastercard).
Source: Péter Somogyi
One of the big issues on the table was how to strike the right balance between automation and human oversight. While AI has the power to transform the industry, it’s crucial to make sure human judgment still plays a key role in important decisions. Each panelist shared their insights on how their organizations are tackling this challenge, making the discussion really practical for anyone working with AI-driven fintech solutions.
Another hot topic was the successful rollout of AI systems and how to measure their impact. We shared some of our own experiences at Peak, talking about both the hurdles and successes we’ve had with AI adoption, emphasizing how important it is to have clear goals and solid measurement systems to track AI performance.
We also touched on the growing concern around regulations and privacy, especially with the EU AI Act coming into play. Zoltán gave a great overview of how the legislation could affect banks and fintech companies, and then we all reflected on how these rules might shape the future of AI.
To wrap things up, we looked toward the future of fintech and AI. We all shared our visions for the future, agreeing that the fintech world will continue to evolve rapidly as AI becomes even more integrated into financial operations.
A huge thanks to Peter Somogyi for creating such a great environment for exchanging ideas. The discussions we had reaffirmed how crucial collaboration is between fintech innovators and AI experts. As we move forward, we’re more excited than ever to explore the incredible possibilities AI offers for the fintech sector.
(Cover photo: Péter Somogyi)