Marco Aboav, CEO of Etna Research, delivers a contrarian take on the current state of AI and automation in financial services. The real challenge now is not technology, but change management, for operational efficiency. But not as a magic bullet for generating alpha. The real edge comes from domain expertise, data selection, and sophisticated modelling—areas where AI can assist but not replace human judgment.

Key Takeaways:

* The innovation cycle in AI for finance is already peaking—most essential tools and workflows are already available.

* The next frontier is not more technology, but how organizations manage change, optimize teams, and handle data in a world of brutal efficiency.

* Incumbents can still fight back against pricing pressure through operational efficiency and smart management decisions.

* Big tech companies may struggle to succeed in verticals like finance, where high accuracy and deep integration are required.

* The “frontier” is in highly specialized, vertical applications, not in generic AI solutions.

About Marco Aboav:Marco Aboav is the CEO and Founder of Etna Research, specializing in the intersection of AI, data, and financial services. With deep expertise in operational efficiency and technology integration, Marco brings a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

”I fell in love with AI's potential to transform investing back in 2009 while wrestling with my engineering PhD. Since then, I’ve spent my career in financial services—across buy and sell-side roles in London—building businesses, managing money, and applying AI to capital markets.”

Connect with Marco Aboav:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-jean-aboav/

* Website: Etna Research

About the Show:Investology is a podcast hosted by George Aliferis, CAIA, dedicated to rethinking investment management and uncovering new ways to deliver better outcomes for investors.Listen on every podcast platform, or on YouTube.

Resources Mentioned:

* Previous episode with Marco:

* Perplexity for Finance: https://www.perplexity.ai/finance

* Anthropic’s MCP protocol: https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol

* Finbourne’s MCP announcement: https://www.finbourne.com/finbourne-unlocks-compliant-agentic-ai-for-the-investment-industry-powered-by-mcp/

* Anthropic for Financial Services: https://www.anthropic.com/solutions/financial-services

Etna’s recent publications

* Diversification an Ephemeral Illusion: https://etnaresearch.notion.site/Diversification-An-Ephemeral-Illusion-231457fd575a800ead88c99086368e8a?pvs=74

* Backtest Roulette: https://etnaresearch.notion.site/Backtest-Roulette-238457fd575a80dc8c27dc8e7574ed40

Timestamps & Topics:00:00 – Introduction: Data Challenges

04:00 – Introduction to Agent AI for Data Management

06:39 – Simplifying Data Processes with AI

08:47 – The Role of Data in Gaining Competitive Edge

13:06 – Generative AI in Financial Services: Commodity or Edge?

19:13 – Operational Efficiency and AI Adoption

25:03 – Verticalization and High-Precision Problems

40:30 – The Future of AI in Investment Management

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