American Banker Podcast

Valerie Abend, Accenture’s financial services cybersecurity lead, dives into the urgent challenges banks face against AI-driven threats. She reveals how generative AI creates sophisticated deepfakes, complicating security measures. Abend emphasizes the need for banks to adopt proactive strategies and align leadership on cybersecurity. Furthermore, she discusses innovative ways to promote customer trust and awareness without inducing fear, highlighting the importance of transparent communication and collaboration in the fight against evolving banking fraud.

Generative AI will remove toil from our day to day jobs, argues Lukic, who is managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group.

“We want to put banks in the risk management driver’s seat,” says Sima Gandhi, co-founder of the Council for Fintech Ecosystem Standards, which has worked with a group of fintechs to create risk and compliance standards banks can use to evaluate their fintech partners.

Software code generation and knowledge management are two of the places the bank has begun using generative AI to improve efficiency. 

Thomas Rudzewick, CEO of Maspeth Savings Bank worries about the growing crisis of low savings among millennials and Gen Z. He believes banks like his can help reverse this trend with financial literacy and innovative savings tools. 

The bank, which is headquartered in Pasadena, had to quickly switch to remote work for many employees and come up with relief programs for customers whose homes and businesses were destroyed by fire.

Arvind Purushotham, the Head of Citi Ventures, dives deep into the fintech landscape of 2025. He discusses investment strategies spotlighting key players like Plaid and Netscope. The importance of generative AI in enhancing efficiency and compliance is emphasized, along with the unique vetting process for fintech partnerships. Purushotham highlights the rising trend of embedded lending and its integration into retail, as well as AI's transformative role in lending and e-commerce personalization while addressing privacy concerns. Key qualities for successful startup investments are also explored.

Aaron Ansari, an independent consultant specializing in anti-money laundering compliance, shares his expertise on the persistent failures of banks like TD Bank and Bank of America in meeting AML regulations. He discusses systemic issues, including a lack of resources and the need for cultural shifts within banks to prioritize compliance over profit. Ansari emphasizes the integration of technology like AI and automation, while stressing the vital role of human oversight in enhancing detection and maintaining employee trust in combating money laundering.

Some banks are “punching above their weight,” according to Dan Latimore, chief research officer at The Financial Revolutionist. Here’s how they do it. 

Ian Mitchell, founder of The Noble, an organization that works with law enforcement and with banks to fight human crime trafficking, explains some of his group’s recent work and why banks need someone dedicated to human crime.