Plenary session 2

The Rise of AI Agents: How Autonomous Systems Are Reshaping Financial Services

9:30 - 10:20 AM

Autonomous AI agents are moving beyond simple task automation to independently executing complex decisions across trading, compliance, customer service, and fraud detection. This session unpacks the transformative potential—and operational risks—of embedding agentic AI into the core of financial workflows. What guardrails are needed to ensure transparency, auditability, and accountability as agents gain decision-making power? How are firms testing and deploying these systems without triggering regulatory or reputational backlash? And what does the rise of AI agents mean for workforce roles, oversight models, and the speed of innovation in financial services?

PANEL

Catherine Desgagnés-Belzil, Executive Vice-President and Leader, Business Performance and Information Technology, Beneva

Michael Pelosi, Country Manager, Canada, Cohere

Hossein Rahnama, Founder and CEO, Flybits

Parinaz Sobhani, Managing Director & Head of AI, Sagard

MODERATOR

David Marotte, Leader, Data and Artificial Intelligence, Regional Lead – Industrial Markets, KPMG Canada