The new center publicly launches with expanded efforts to advance research, education, and industry collaboration, along with plans for a flagship annual conference.
ATLANTA — October 12, 2026 — Artificial intelligence is reshaping how financial institutions operate, how markets function, and how business decisions are made. At Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, the Center for AI in Finance is bringing together researchers, students, and industry leaders to explore what comes next.
The Center for AI in Finance was established in fall 2025 to strengthen Goizueta’s leadership at the intersection of AI and finance — funding research, convening academic and industry leaders, and developing AI-savvy finance talent.
“Our first year was about building the foundation — bringing the right people together, supporting promising research and creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue between academia and industry,” said Tucker Balch, director of the Center for AI in Finance, professor in the practice and research of finance at Goizueta Business School and former managing director at J.P. Morgan, where he helped build the firm’s AI Research team. “Now we’re ready to broaden that community and share more of what we’re building with the world.”
With that foundation in place, Goizueta is now publicly launching the center and strengthening its reach through an expanded seminar series, new research grants, growing student opportunities, and plans for a flagship annual conference in spring 2027.
Investing in Research
In its first year, the center awarded six research grants and one educational grant, supporting projects at the intersection of AI and finance. Funded research has examined topics ranging from machine learning and resource allocation to AI-generated observations in financial markets, digital twins, AI’s impact on innovation, and the financial returns of AI-enabled technologies.
The center is expanding that investment in its second year, building on a growing body of AI-related research across Goizueta, including work on financial markets, portfolio allocation, market simulation, synthetic financial data, financial crime, AI-enabled auditing and reporting, and the broader effects of AI on organizations and business decision-making. Faculty research in the field spans finance, analytics, operations, marketing, and other disciplines, reflecting the increasingly cross-disciplinary nature of AI’s impact on business.
“The opportunities and challenges created by AI demand rigorous research and thoughtful inquiry,” said Saby Mitra, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “By investing in research at the intersection of AI and finance and connecting that work with industry and our students, the center strengthens Goizueta’s ability to contribute to the conversations shaping the future of business.”
Bringing Academia and Industry Together
As part of its soft launch, the center’s seminar series has already brought leading voices in AI and finance to Goizueta, including Manuela Veloso, former head of AI Research at JPMorganChase; Tina Zhao, head of Advanced AI Solutions at BlackRock; and Mao Ye, professor of finance at Cornell University.
The center plans to more than double its seminar programming this year, expanding from five speakers in its inaugural year to more than 10 academic and industry speakers.
The center’s external advisory board also connects Goizueta to leaders working at the forefront of AI in finance, including Veloso, Sammy Assefa of U.S. Bank, and Zhao of BlackRock.
Building the Next Generation of AI-Savvy Finance Leaders
The center is also expanding opportunities for students to engage directly with AI and finance research and practice. New initiatives planned for the coming year include funded student fellowships, hands-on engagement, new courses, and support for the formation of student organizations focused on AI in finance.
“These technologies are changing not only what financial professionals do, but the skills they will need to succeed,” Balch said. “We want our students to be prepared to lead in that environment — with the technical understanding, financial expertise, and judgment to use AI effectively.”
Looking Ahead
As the Center for AI in Finance moves forward, it is building toward a flagship annual conference planned for spring 2027. The conference will expand the center’s role as a convening point for researchers, students, business leaders, and policymakers exploring the opportunities and challenges created by AI.
“There’s enormous momentum around AI in finance, and we’re just getting started,” Balch said. “We see an opportunity for Goizueta to be a place where rigorous research, education, and real-world application come together.”
To learn more about Goizueta’s Center for AI in Finance, visit https://goizueta.emory.edu/faculty/ai-in-finance.
About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School
Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with an undergraduate degree program, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master in Management, Master of Business for Veterans, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.
