6th John McCarthy AI Summer School | AI for Finance
The sixth international John McCarthy AI Summer School event will take place on the 18th and 19th of September 2025. This year’s theme is AI for Finance
**PLEASE NOTE: Due to popular demand, the in-person seats are now sold out. Attendance is online only. If you would like to join a waiting list, we will offer in-person seats in the event of any cancellations.**
Finance is undergoing a remarkable evolution, fuelled by rapid technological progress and an unprecedented focus on data. For professional investors and financial institutions, advanced analytics and Agentic AI systems are revealing vital insights that can sharpen strategies and enhance portfolio performance. Individuals managing their own finances are also benefitting, as intelligent automation and data-driven tools offer structured ways to build security and achieve long-term goals.
Emerging technologies such as blockchain are bringing greater transparency and trust to financial transactions, while sophisticated data solutions are revolutionising fraud detection by enabling real-time monitoring and response. Whether you’re navigating trading platforms, interpreting market trends, or shaping new financial products, the landscape is changing faster than ever.
This 2-day John McCarthy AI Summer School | AI for Finance is your opportunity to explore these transformations up close. Join us to hear from this stellar lineup of speakers:
AI Summer School AI for Finance
Speakers Day 1:
12.00-12.30 Hrvoje Smolic CEO and founder of Graphite Note
‘AI for Finance: From Hype to Decisions That Matter’
12.30 -12.55 Speaker: Michael Dowling, Narrative Banking, 'Agentic AI for turning financial data into better life outcomes'
12.55 -1.20 Speaker: David Kearney | Numra
“AI Agents for Finance Operations”—focusing on how agentic AI can streamline and transform finance workflows.
1.20 - 1.50 : Comfort Break / Networking
1.50 -2.20 Speaker Kevin Neary, Orcawise: 'RAIMS in the context of Finance Agentic AI''
This talk will show how RAIMS™ provides the governance backbone for Finance Agentic AI, aligning ISO 42001 and the EU AI Act with real-world financial workflows. We’ll highlight how RAIMS ensures trust, compliance, and accountability while enabling scalable, agent-driven innovation in finance.
2.20 -2.45 Speaker: Professor Vasant Dhar NYU Stern & Center for Data Science:
‘Thinking With Machines in Finance’ - the role of AI in systematic and discretionary investing across time scales of minutes to months based on 30 years of research and trading in global financial markets
2.45 -3.10 Speaker: Professor Ciara Heavin, UCC
‘Agentic AI in Finance: Ethical Challenges and Leadership Responsibilities.’
3.10 -3.25 : Comfort Break / Networking
3.25 -3.50 Alison McMurtree iDunn Consulting:
The Agentic AI Opportunity: Where Fintech Builders and Investors Should Look and Avoid!
3.50 - 4.20 Speaker: Jane Cummings CTO Outmin.io
'From Assistant to Automation: Building AI Agents to Eliminate Bookkeeping Work'
4.20 - 5.00pm: Panel discussion: ‘Turning Data into Decisions: AI Use Cases’
with Niall Olden, Kernal Capital, Susie Harding of EY and Michael O Connor of NexGen Cyber, facilitated by Megan Daly Tyrrell, RDI Hub
Speakers Day 2
9.00 -9.30 Speaker: Michael O Connor, NexGenCyber
9.30 -10.00 Speaker: Brian Walsh | Reitigh CEO 'AI In Insurance: From Models to Mindsets'
10.00 -10.30 Speakers: Steuart Alexander from Central Bank | Innovation Sandbox programme: 'Innovation Engagement at the Central Bank'
10.30 -10.45 : 15 minute Comfort Break / Networking
10.45 -11.15 Speaker: Prof Louise McCormack, Adapt Centre,
‘Trustworthy AI Governance and the EU AI Act for credit risk evaluation models.’
11.15 -11.45 Speaker: Luca Marchesotti Gemmo AI: ‘
How to create an AI strategy from scratch in Financial services’
11.45 -12.15 Speaker:
Micheal O’Shea CTO Metamo,
'AI for credit decisioning in Credit Unions.'
12.15 -12.30 : Comfort Break / Networking
12.30 – 12.50 Sudha Alagappan, AI Architect | Founder, CEO @NeuralBI
"AI Bias in Finance: Detection, Risk & Regulatory Readiness"
12.50 - 1.10pm Dr Maria Moloney, Head of Research PrivacyEngine
‘Assessing AI and Data Protection Expertise in Academia and the Financial Services Sector: Insights and Recommendations for AI Skills Development’ (published in the Journal of Financial Transformation in 2023.)
1.10-1.30pm Gosia Keating, KPI Payments,
“AI in Payments: Reducing Declines, Boosting Approvals”
1.30-2.00pm Panel Discussion:
'Deploying AI for Growth: Turning Innovation into Execution’
Panel discussion about best practice in to how to deploy AI in your for business, with Karl Aherne, Fexco, Amy Neale, Delta Partners, and Chris Clancy, Enterprise Ireland, facilitated by Gearoid Kearney, RDI Hub
We are delighted to announce that the following partners – RDI hub, Microsoft Ireland, Munster Technological University, the SFI ADAPT Centre for AI Driven Digital Content Technology, AI Ireland, Skillnet Innovation Exchange, South Kerry Skillnet, and new partners Fexco and Tech Industry Alliance, will jointly host a hybrid Artificial Intelligence Summer School event on the 18th and 19th of September 2025.
This year’s summer school will take a deep dive into the area of AI for Finance with both core and applied research tracks. With a stellar international lineup over two half days, this will be an unmissable event with panel discussions and networking opportunities included.
The core research elements of this summer school will appeal to professors, post docs, PhD students, researchers and graduate students in the fields of AI, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.
The applied elements have a broader appeal and are accessible to anyone with an interest in Artificial intelligence and the various way it can be deployed.
The RDI hub building is dedicated to John McCarthy as a tribute to the Stanford University computer scientist. McCarthy was one of the founders of the discipline of artificial intelligence and his father was born in Cromane, near Killorglin in Co Kerry. In the late 1950s McCarthy invented LISP which became the programming language of choice for AI applications.
Our aim is that the John McCarthy AI Summer School will become a calendar moment for the development of AI and the sharing of knowledge. Every year we bring you a stellar international lineup of the best and brightest minds working in Artificial Intelligence. The full speaker list will be announced shortly.