LAHORE: In emerging economies, the promise of artificial intelligence in finance extends beyond automation and efficiency to a more fundamental goal: access.
Speaking at the ‘AI x Fintech: The New Rules of Intelligent Finance’ session during Mobile World Congress 2026, organised by the GSMA, Aamir Ibrahim, chief executive officer of JazzWorld, said the true test of AI would be whether it expands financial inclusion at scale.
“In markets like Pakistan, the question is not how advanced AI models are,” he said. “It is whether they reach the millions who remain outside the formal financial system.”
Pakistan has more than 100 million adults without access to formal banking services. Ibrahim said AI’s transformative potential lies in its ability to convert digital and behavioural footprints — from payment histories to usage patterns — into financial identities. That, he argued, can unlock access to credit, enable real-time risk assessment and integrate previously excluded populations into the formal economy.
He cautioned, however, that poorly designed systems could deepen existing inequalities. “AI can include, but it can also exclude,” he said, noting that in structurally complex markets characterised by informal economies, fragmented data and gender disparities, transparency and explainability are essential safeguards. “Finance ultimately runs on trust, not technology.”
The session was moderated by Future of Finance Analyst at Citi Global Insights Sophia Bantanidis and included Chief Executive of Bankuish Jose Fernandez; Partner at 4Founders Capital Paula Blazquez Solano; and Country Manager at PayPal Iberia Beatriz Gimenez.
Drawing parallels between fintech and cybersecurity risks, Ibrahim said that while breaches and incidents may occur, institutional response determines credibility. In markets where fraud often exploits limited digital literacy, he added, consumer education and responsible guidance are as important as algorithmic precision.
He also addressed the balance between innovation and regulation. Innovation typically outpaces regulation, he said, while central banks tend to prioritise risk mitigation. The way forward lies in structured engagement — including regulatory sandboxes, open dialogue and shared accountability — to ensure innovation advances without compromising consumer protection.
As telecom and fintech platforms converge, large-scale ecosystems are well placed to harness data responsibly for improved credit scoring and real-time fraud prevention. Yet scale alone is insufficient.
Ibrahim summarised the future of intelligent finance in three pillars: technology, transparency and trust. Technology enables capability; transparency builds credibility; trust ensures longevity.“For consumers, the underlying technology matters far less than whether they feel secure, treated fairly and well informed,” he said.
