Survey: What Finance Professionals Are Saying About AI
In today’s fast‑moving world of quantitative finance, the game is changing fast.
Ask anyone in the finance industry, and it seems as though algorithms, AI, and advanced modeling are now at the center of attention.
CQF Institute, the global membership body for quantitative finance professionals, and part of Fitch Learning, gathered insights from 135 quant professionals globally. They captured real‑time feelings from people already working in quant finance roles, including traders, analysts, modelers, and risk specialists.
A RAPIDLY-EVOLVING INDUSTRY THANKS TO AI
One of the clearest takeaways is that most finance workers are seeing that the gap between required skills and available talent widened in recent years. This is what 76% of them stated.
As AI is becoming embedded in everything from trading algorithms to risk systems, traditional quant training doesn’t seem to be quite enough. Along with finance expertise, programming ability, data science fluency, professionals also seem to need machine‑learning literacy.
This shift is affecting many companies’ day‑to‑day work. 58% of professionals said AI has expanded their responsibilities in just the past two years. This means an employee who expected to be building financial models may now also be expected to understand machine‑learning frameworks.
Looking ahead, 74% of respondents believe AI will cause major or even complete transformation of quant roles within the next five years.
Hiring reflects the same pressure. More than half of respondents said it’s difficult to find strong quantitative talent. They’ve seen a shortage of professionals who can combine mathematical rigor with coding and AI skills.
HOW UNIVERSITIES ARE RESPONDING TO AI
In the report, 75% say their current roles require skills they were never taught in university. That disconnect between education and industry needs is becoming one of the defining challenges of modern finance.
With this in mind, many business schools have been reinventing their programs to properly prepare their students for their careers. For example, Wharton recently launched a full undergraduate concentration and MBA major in Artificial Intelligence for Business. Also, MIT Sloan has added new courses in deep learning, generative AI, and AI‑driven finance. Many other business schools have been joining in the movement as well.
It seems as though continuous learning has become the solution for those in quantitative finance these days. Most professionals who are already in the field have gone through self‑learning, on‑the‑job experience, and certifications like the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) to stay competitive. These are typically those who were already hired before the AI-boom.
Another 84% of respondents agree that ongoing reskilling is essential and will continue to be in the coming years. A degree may open the door, but ongoing AI training is what will keep employees in the industry in the office.
Next Page: Experiencing the MBA As Undergraduates At the University of Virginia’s Darden School
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