AI Technologies: Overhyped, imperative or real opportunity? ABBL at the 18th Journée de l’Économie

AI: A game changer for the financial sector

During a panel moderated by PwC, Ananda Kautz, Member of the ABBL Management Board, took the stage alongside Gérard Hoffmann (Proximus Luxembourg) and Jacques Thill (Ministry of the Economy) to discuss AI’s implications for Luxembourg’s economy and financial sector.

AI is expected to significantly reshape business models in finance — one of the most data-intensive industries. Ananda Kautz stressed that institutions must show leadership and agility to keep up with the pace of innovation:

She also emphasised the importance of building a pragmatic, integrated and trusted AI ecosystem in Luxembourg, rooted in sound data governance.

Regulation and innovation must go hand in hand

Speakers agreed that the EU AI Act must balance two key objectives: ensuring AI systems are safe, explainable and ethical, while preserving the capacity for innovation — particularly in regulated sectors such as finance.

This message resonated across the conference, as stakeholders called for open collaboration between governments and industry, and for the development of tools like regulatory sandboxes to accelerate safe experimentation.

Public and private actors aligned on ambition

Minister Lex Delles presented the government’s national AI strategy, including targeted support for SMEs and a €120 million investment in MeluXina-AI, the country’s high-performance computing platform.

According to Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce, 63% of Luxembourg businesses believe AI will impact their model — and plan to invest within three years. This momentum, he argued, must be backed by local infrastructure, capital, and talent.