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Generative AI is not just a technological advancement; it is the driving force behind a revolution in the financial services industry. At the recent VentureBeat Transform conference, financial industry leaders gathered to discuss the transformative potential of Generative AI. Among the panelists was Shri Santhanam, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Software, Platforms, and AI at Experian North America. The session, titled Generative AI: Crafting Smart Solutions for Financial Services, explored how generative AI is revolutionizing the finance sector by crafting intelligent solutions to address unique industry challenges. Santhanam highlighted the significant digital transformation within financial services, driven by AI and machine learning. "Generative AI is having a profound impact on many industries, including financial services," Santhanam stated. He emphasized that AI contributes to better financial inclusion, improved risk assessment, and enhanced customer experiences. Experian's Commitment to AI Innovation Experian has been at the forefront of AI integration, leveraging advanced technologies to drive productivity and enhance customer engagement. A prime example of this commitment is the Ascend Technology Platform, which democratizes access to AI tools for clients and Experian developers. Santhanam shared insights into Experian's strategic approach to AI adoption. "We invested early in production scale and are very careful about which projects to sponsor for go-to-market. These projects must pass a bar that includes strategic alignment, customization, and regulatory compliance," he explained. Real-World Applications and Future Directions Generative AI is poised to produce significant impacts, particularly in underwriting models, pattern recognition, and automation. Santhanam noted that Experian has made considerable strides in AI integration over the past 12 to 18 months, enhancing coding and engineering productivity among the extensive team of over 2,000 engineers. Additionally, AI-powered dialogues have elevated customer engagement, demonstrating the practical benefits of these technologies. One of the standout features of Experian's approach is the balance between innovation and regulation. Santhanam emphasized the importance of breaking down silos and fostering collaboration between risk and technology teams to navigate the complexities of AI adoption in highly regulated environments. Looking Forward Experian's dedication to responsible AI is evident in its establishment of an AI academy to accelerate upskilling and promote grassroots innovation. By encouraging employees to engage with generative AI and share their successes, Experian fosters a culture of continuous learning and experimentation. As AI continues to evolve, Experian remains committed to adapting to regulatory changes while ensuring fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination in their AI applications. We see tremendous opportunities in enhancing customer engagement, expanding financial inclusion, and streamlining processes through AI. In conclusion, Shri Santhanam's participation in the VentureBeat Transform panel underscores Experian's leadership in leveraging Generative AI to drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits to businesses and consumers. The Ascend Technology Platform exemplifies Experian's commitment to harnessing the power of AI responsibly, setting a benchmark for the financial services industry.
We are thrilled to announce that Experian has been named to TIME Magazine’s inaugural "World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2024" list, a testament to our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability leadership. This award is granted on a comprehensive research study conducted by Statista to identify the most sustainable companies across the globe, recognizing companies that are committed to preserving the planet and ensuring future generations inherit a world rich in natural beauty and resources. Experian achieved significant milestones in our sustainability journey in just the past year alone: Our renewable energy usage increased from 62% to an impressive 75%, marking a substantial step towards our goal of maximizing sustainable energy sources. We reduced our overall energy consumption by 19%, contributing to a remarkable 75% reduction, putting us well ahead of schedule in achieving our ambitious goal of a 50% reduction in direct emissions by 2030. As our business has grown, Experian has managed to decrease the carbon intensity of our direct emissions by an impressive 35%. This achievement underscores our dedication to operational efficiency and sustainable practices across our global operations. Looking beyond our direct impact, Experian has committed to working with suppliers that also adopt science-based targets by 2029, demonstrating our influence in driving sustainability throughout our supply chain. At Experian, sustainability is not just a corporate responsibility but a core part of our business strategy. We are dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability, driving positive change in our industry, and contributing to a healthier planet for future generations. As we continue on our journey to Net Zero, we remain committed to setting new benchmarks and leading by example in corporate sustainability. For more information on our sustainability initiatives and progress, click here.
Making a real difference in the world starts with embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and accelerating social impact. It's not just the right thing to do, but it's also key to our mission of creating a better tomorrow, together. DEI isn't just a buzzword for us; it's at the heart of everything we do. Whether it's in our sustainability strategy or our day-to-day operations, we're committed to driving positive social impact and closing the financial wealth gap in underserved communities. It starts with our people. We’re proud to share their dedication and work in this year’s Experian Power of YOU Report 2024: Driving social impact and diversity, equity and inclusion in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Within these pages, you’ll see how we foster belonging with our teammates, and champion DEI beyond the walls of Experian. From developing products like Experian Smart Money to expanding Experian Boost in the United Kingdom, and launching Advance XScore in Peru, we're dedicated to making a difference in the world around us. To that end, you’ll see we’ve also included, for the first time, our new Positive Social Impact Framework, which will reinforce and help our clients, consumers and employees further understand how we are making a difference in our communities. At Experian, we strive to build a brighter, more inclusive future – for our employees, our clients, and our communities. Together, we can make a real difference.
Today, we stand at the forefront of a digital revolution that is reshaping the financial services industry. And, against this backdrop, financial institutions are at vastly different levels of maturity; the world’s biggest banks are managing large-scale infrastructure migrations and making significant investments in AI while regional banks and credit unions are putting plans in place for modernization strategies, and fintechs are purpose-built and cloud native. To explore this more, I recently had the privilege of attending the annual Reuters NEXT live event in New York City. The event gathers globally recognized leaders across business, finance, technology, and government to tackle some of today’s most pressing issues. On the World Stage, I joined Del Irani, a talented anchor and broadcast journalist, to discuss the future of lending and the pivotal role of data and AI in building a more inclusive financial system. Improving financial access Our discussion highlighted the lack of access to traditional financial systems, and the impact it has on nearly 100 million people in North America alone. Globally, the problem affects over one billion people. These people, who are credit invisible, unscoreable, or have subprime credit scores, are unable to secure everyday financial products that many of us take for granted. What many don’t realize is, this is not a fringe subset of the population. Most of us, myself included, know someone who has faced the challenges of financial exclusion. Everyday Americans, including young people who are just starting out, new immigrants and people from diverse communities, often lack access to mainstream financial products. We discussed how traditional lending has a limited view of a consumer. Like looking through a keyhole, the lender’s understanding of the person in view is often incomplete and obstructed. However, with expanded data, technology, and advanced analytics, there is an opportunity to better understand the whole person, and as a result have a more inclusive financial system. At Experian, we have a unique ability to connect the power of traditional credit with alternative data, bringing a more holistic understanding of consumers and their behaviors. We are dedicated to leveraging our rich history in data and our expertise in technology to create the future of credit and ultimately bring financial power to everyone. The future of lending After spending two days with over 700 industry leaders from around the world, one thing is abundantly clear: much like the early days of the internet, today, we are at the cutting-edge of a technical revolution. Reflecting on my time at Reuters NEXT, I am particularly excited by the collective commitment to drive innovative, and smarter ways of working. We are only beginning to scratch the surface of how data and technology can transform financial services, and Experian is positioned to play a significant role. As we look to the future, I am excited about the ways we will create new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
We believe that financial literacy leads to empowerment. That is why Experian supports initiatives and partners with community organizations to deliver financial education. We also develop products and services that give more control to consumers over their credit profile and financial health. As part of advancing our mission of Financial Power to All®, we are proud to announce we are helping more than 5,000 Hispanic individuals nationwide by relieving $10 million dollars of consumer debt. To provide families with this boost, we joined forces with ForgiveCo, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), to administer the acquisition and cancellation of qualifying consumer debt for the selected recipients. Beneficiaries will also receive a one-year premium Experian membership for free that offers access to their Experian credit report in English and Spanish[i], FICO® Score[ii], bilingual educational content, and other financial resources. We hope this effort helps raise awareness of the importance of financial literacy for everyone, and that Experian has resources to help individuals reach their financial dreams. To amplify the message, we collaborated with multi-platinum, award-winning singer and songwriter Prince Royce and you can see his video here. In fact, we have been making a concerted effort the last several years to evolve our educational resources and products to better support all underserved communities. Some of our other activities include the creation of the B.A.L.L. for Life initiative that connects African American and Hispanic youth with financial education, supporting scholarships for Asian Americans through the Ascend organization, providing custom resources for Out & Equal and Born This Way Foundation for the LGBTQ+ community, supporting the NextGen Innovation Lab for Disability:IN, and sponsoring credit counseling for the military community with Operation HOPE. For resources in Spanish, Experian offers a credit e-book and consumers can access a full suite of articles at the Ask Experian blog here. [i] Only Experian credit reports are available in Spanish. All other services associated with an Experian membership are available in English only. English fluency is required for full access to Experian’s products. [ii] Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more.
Amid some of the financial challenges that underserved communities experience, members across the financial services community remain committed to championing initiatives and programs that drive greater financial inclusion. In fact, collaboration has led to the inclusion of non-debt related payment information on consumers’ credit profiles, as well as digital services that make it easier to manage money. These efforts have helped to broaden access to fair and affordable financial resources for more individuals. While significant progress has been made, there is still more work to do. However, some of the misconceptions and myths about the financial services community are hindering further advancement. Debunking these myths will accelerate progress by building trust between the financial services community and consumers. Person withdrawing money from ATM contactless Myth #1: “Financial institutions have no interest in underserved consumers or credit invisibles.” The truth is, banks and credit unions want to say “yes” to more prospective borrowers, including individuals and families from underserved communities. Beyond being the right thing to do, it’s an opportunity to potentially build lifelong relationships with a relatively untapped market. A show of good faith to communities who have largely been ignored by the financial system could lead to customer loyalty that may extend to their family and friends. That’s why participants across the financial ecosystem have been proponents of including expanded data sources—such as on-time telecom, utility and video streaming service payments—on to consumer credit reports, as well as exploring other Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)-regulated data sources, including payment data on short-term small dollar loans and expanded public records data. Making this data more accessible to lenders provides a more comprehensive view of a consumer’s ability and willingness to repay outstanding debt—an actionable solution to extending credit to consumers without lenders taking on additional risk. Myth #2: “There is a lack of trustworthy financial education resources.” The financial services community and affiliated organizations recognize that empowering people with financial knowledge and skillset are critical to consumers’ financial success. In fact, banks and credit unions are partnering with nonprofits and non-governmental organizations to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities within specific communities and provide relevant tools and resources. For example, Experian’s B.A.L.L. for Life (Be A Legacy Leader) program, launched in partnership with the National Urban League, serves as a catalyst for engaging with Black communities and low-income youth through live events and digital financial education. Subject matter experts, professional athletes, celebrities, and other influencers share their experiences and expertise, covering topics such as banking, credit, financial management and investing. In addition, to help people improve their financial management, Experian partners with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). The NFCC connects consumers with certified financial counselors to help them address various pain points, including debt management, homeownership, student loans or small business cash flow issues. Myth #3: “Underserved communities have few opportunities to build credit and enter the mainstream financial system.” People from underserved communities, as well as younger consumers and recent immigrants are often excluded from the mainstream financial system because they lack an extensive credit history. Historically, it’s created a vicious cycle; in order to get credit, you have to have credit. Fortunately, there has been a sea change in innovative solutions to address the specific needs of these populations. These include new credit scoring models and microfinancing which provide financial services to individuals who may have been excluded from traditional banking systems. In addition, by incorporating expanded data sources, such as telecom, utility and residential rental payments onto credit reports, lenders have more visibility into consumers who may have been excluded by traditional credit scoring methods.These programs help individuals and families from underserved communities establish and build a credit history that could enable loans, or the ability to rent an apartment or open their dream business. An example is Experian Boost®, a free feature that allows Experian members to contribute their history of making utility, cellphone, insurance, residential rent and video streaming service payments directly into their Experian credit profile. By incorporating nontraditional credit data like paying utility bills on time, online banking transactions, rental payments and verified income data, more people can establish a credit profile that can potentially qualify them for a loan. More Inclusion, Fewer Myths It’s encouraging that community organizations and banks are beginning to see the economic and social benefits of aligning on financial literacy and inclusion. As more initiatives come online, underserved populations will be able to establish a better financial foundation. Then, we can declare the myths to be history.