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Geeky Gadgets
30-05-2025
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
AI Investment Research Agent "Ask David" Built by JP Morgan
What if the future of investment research wasn't just about crunching numbers, but about asking the right questions—and getting answers in seconds? Enter JP Morgan's 'Ask David,' a new AI system designed to transform how financial professionals navigate the overwhelming sea of market data. In an industry where time is money and precision is paramount, this multi-agent AI doesn't just sift through spreadsheets; it deciphers complex datasets, personalizes insights, and even anticipates the needs of its users. By blending automation with human expertise, JP Morgan has created a tool that doesn't just support decision-making—it redefines it. Could this be the new gold standard for financial intelligence? In this deep dive, LangChain uncover how 'Ask David' operates at the intersection of innovative technology and high-stakes finance. You'll discover how its multi-agent architecture enables seamless integration of structured and unstructured data, delivering insights tailored to the unique demands of financial advisors, analysts, and due diligence specialists. Along the way, we'll explore the challenges JP Morgan faced in building this system, the lessons learned, and the broader implications for the financial sector. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a finance professional, or simply curious about the future of AI, this story offers a glimpse into how innovation is reshaping one of the world's most complex industries. Sometimes, the right question can change everything. AI-Powered Investment Research The Purpose Behind 'Ask David' 'Ask David' was developed to tackle the challenges posed by the vast and intricate nature of financial data. Investment research often involves processing extensive datasets, a task that is both time-intensive and laborious. The system automates these processes, offering precise and curated answers to client queries. By significantly reducing manual effort, 'Ask David' enables financial advisors and analysts to dedicate more time to strategic decision-making. Its ultimate aim is to enhance both the efficiency and accuracy of investment research, making sure professionals can navigate complex financial landscapes with greater ease. How 'Ask David' Operates At its foundation, 'Ask David' functions as a domain-specific question-answering (QA) agent. It seamlessly integrates structured data, such as spreadsheets and databases, with unstructured data, including documents, emails, and audio recordings. Through the use of proprietary analytics and visualization tools, the system generates actionable insights in real time. This integration ensures that users receive comprehensive, relevant, and tailored responses to their specific inquiries. The system's workflow begins with analyzing the user's intent to understand the nature of the query. It then retrieves and processes data, personalizing the output based on the user's role and requirements. Reflection nodes are employed to verify the quality of the responses, while summarization tools ensure that the outputs are concise and directly applicable. This meticulous process guarantees that the insights provided are both accurate and actionable. JP Morgan's Ask David AI: The Future of Investment Research? Watch this video on YouTube. Uncover more insights about AI-powered multi-agent system in previous articles we have written. The Multi-Agent Architecture of 'Ask David' The architecture of 'Ask David' is built around a multi-agent framework, with a supervisor agent orchestrating the workflow. Specialized sub-agents are assigned distinct tasks, making sure a streamlined and efficient process. These sub-agents include: Structured Data Integration: Responsible for processing and analyzing data from spreadsheets and databases. Responsible for processing and analyzing data from spreadsheets and databases. Unstructured Data Processing: Extracts valuable insights from documents, emails, and other text-based sources. Extracts valuable insights from documents, emails, and other text-based sources. Analytics Generation: Produces visualizations and actionable insights to aid decision-making. This architecture is designed to handle complex queries with precision. The system's ability to combine structured and unstructured data ensures that users receive a holistic view of the information they need, tailored to their specific roles and objectives. Personalization and Role-Specific Insights A defining feature of 'Ask David' is its capacity to adapt its responses based on the user's role. This personalization ensures that the insights provided are not only relevant but also actionable. For instance: Financial Advisors: Receive high-level summaries that assist quick and informed decision-making. Receive high-level summaries that assist quick and informed decision-making. Due Diligence Specialists: Access detailed analyses that support in-depth evaluations and assessments. The system uses large language models (LLMs) and advanced personalization algorithms to tailor its outputs. Reflection nodes play a crucial role in validating the relevance and reliability of the insights, while a human-in-the-loop approach ensures that critical decisions remain accurate and trustworthy. This balance between automation and human oversight is particularly vital in the high-stakes environment of financial decision-making. The Development Journey of 'Ask David' The creation of 'Ask David' was a methodical and iterative process. The development team began with simple agents and gradually evolved the system into a sophisticated multi-agent framework. Key steps in the development process included: Establishing evaluation metrics, such as accuracy and conciseness, tailored to the specific tasks of the system. Conducting independent evaluations of sub-agents and workflow chains to ensure the quality and reliability of outputs. Refining the system iteratively to address challenges and enhance performance over time. This structured approach allowed the team to build a scalable and reliable system while maintaining the flexibility needed for future enhancements. The focus on continuous improvement ensured that 'Ask David' could meet the evolving demands of the financial industry. Overcoming Challenges and Key Lessons Developing a domain-specific AI system like 'Ask David' presented several challenges. Achieving high accuracy required extensive human oversight and iterative refinement. Balancing automation with human expertise was essential, particularly in the context of financial decision-making. The development team identified several key lessons during the process: Fast Iterations: Rapidly addressing issues and refining functionality was critical to the system's success. Rapidly addressing issues and refining functionality was critical to the system's success. Early Evaluations: Conducting evaluations early in the development process helped identify and resolve potential problems efficiently. Conducting evaluations early in the development process helped identify and resolve potential problems efficiently. Human Oversight: Maintaining human involvement ensured the reliability and trustworthiness of the system's outputs. These insights underscore the complexities involved in building AI systems for specialized industries and highlight the importance of a balanced approach that combines automation with human expertise. The Future of AI Investment Research The potential of the 'Ask David' AI investment research extends far beyond its current capabilities. As the system continues to evolve, it is expected to handle increasingly complex queries and expand into additional use cases. By integrating advanced AI techniques, 'Ask David' can further enhance its performance and user experience, setting new benchmarks for efficiency and innovation in the financial sector. Its success serves as a testament to the fantastic potential of AI, paving the way for more new applications in finance and beyond. Key Takeaways Iterative Development: Start with simple solutions, refine continuously, and scale gradually to build robust systems. Start with simple solutions, refine continuously, and scale gradually to build robust systems. Early and Ongoing Evaluations: Use tailored metrics and independent evaluations to ensure quality and reliability. Use tailored metrics and independent evaluations to ensure quality and reliability. Human-AI Collaboration: Maintain human oversight to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness in critical applications. Media Credit: LangChain Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Independent Singapore
24-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Ambitious finance professionals in Asia Pacific eye entrepreneurship as career shift looms
ASIA-PACIFIC: Singapore's accounting and finance sectors are experiencing a monumental change, fueled by intensifying entrepreneurial impetus, pressing sustainability requirements, and mounting apprehension over AI abilities. According to ACCA's 2025 Global Talent Trends Survey—the world's prime yearly study of accounting experts—finance occupations are rapidly fluctuating, with consequences for companies, business owners, legislators, and the workforce itself. Entrepreneurship is no longer just an idea that needs embodiment; it has become a vital craving. More than 52% of finance professionals all over Asia Pacific, and 37% in Singapore, said they want to have and run their own businesses. Jamie Lyon FCCA, ACCA's Global Head of Skills, Sectors, and Technology, sees this as a favourable indicator. 'Accountancy training is proving to be an excellent early-career platform for entrepreneurial growth,' Lyon noted. 'Career ambitions are evolving, and with that comes the opportunity to leverage commerciality and innovation in finance roles.' This trend reflects a larger drift – managers and company owners are gradually appreciating business risk-taking ideas not just in small ventures, but also within conventional finance roles. Sustainability careers take centre stage amid AI skills gap Another remarkable finding: Sustainability has become an aggressive focus. In Singapore, 61% of finance pros express solid interest in sustainability-associated functions, positioning with a regional leaning of 71% all over Asia Pacific. Worldwide, virtually half of finance management roles now include sustainability tasks. Simultaneously, apprehensions about being left behind in the AI movement are growing. In Singapore, 65% fear their inadequate AI aptitudes for the future, while only 27% say their organisations are offering AI training. Daniel Leung, ACCA Singapore Country Manager, stressed the immediacy and relevance of this trend. 'We are redefining the Singapore accountancy profession—building not just technical skills, but strategic value. Employers must challenge the status quo and invest in their people to remain resilient.' Retention risks, hybrid work tensions, and a rise in side hustles Employee turnover is high, with 65% of Singaporean professionals and 57% all over the region are either planning or preparing to change roles within two years. More than half anticipate moving beyond their present organisation, leading to grave retention challenges for business owners and HRD managers. Workplace flexibility remains critical—79% of Singaporeans favour hybrid models; thus far, 41% are still compelled to work round-the-clock and on-site. This misalignment threatens detachment and delayed skills advancement. In the interim, mental health issues continue. Over half (53%) of Singaporean respondents say work affects their psychological well-being. Financial strain is also rising, with one in three workers accepting side hustles and 32% expecting salary growth of more than 11% to keep pace with the cost of living. Notwithstanding the turmoil, the accountancy profession remains a gateway to international careers. More than 56% of workers in Singapore wish to explore overseas prospects, highlighting the continuing value of financial know-how in a borderless economic environment.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Now Trending: The Stepping Stone CFO Job
Finance jobs are changing rapidly with the adoption of AI, but the technology has uncovered significant age and gender gaps in how people look at a company's financial department. A new study from enterprise finance management platform OneStream found that while two-thirds of current finance professionals use AI at work right now, just 54% of those with at least 10 years of experience say they have enough experience with AI to use it in their work. (Earlier career finance professionals are somewhat more experienced, with 63% saying the same thing.) More than half of all finance professionals see a generational technology divide at work, with 44% saying AI skills are contributing to that gap. On the younger end of the spectrum, nearly nine out of 10 finance students say they already have enough experience to use AI at work. They also see finance jobs as ones with relatively easy schedules. Nearly four out of five expect to work less than 40 hours a week—while 58% of working professionals say they actually work more than 40 hours. Only 16% associate a finance career with burnout, something that 57% of finance professionals have experienced personally. Men are using AI and technology more frequently than women across all age groups. Just over seven in 10 male finance professionals say they rely on AI at least somewhat often, while only 61% of women said the same. And nearly a third of female finance workers with less than a decade of experience say automation and AI will be the biggest challenge facing their career over the next decade. Regardless of how different groups feel about AI and technology, these gaps need to be bridged. Hands-on training on AI tools and more education about the functions they can perform could help make all ages feel more comfortable with them. (Considering the current situation with tariffs changing seemingly on a daily basis, deploying AI tools really might be the only way to make sense of the financial picture.) Giving women more opportunities with AI could also help equalize the way that the tools are seen and used. As for the up-and-coming finance students, they may know something about AI that the rest of the profession doesn't. When the global economy stabilizes, AI tools may actually make the average finance professional's week less stressful and eliminate long hours. More and more companies that are looking for new CFOs want a little something extra: A CFO who can eventually become CEO. I talked to Laura McPhail, cofounder and partner at executive search firm Hedley May about this new trend, and how CFOs can use the opportunity to get themselves positioned for growth. An excerpt from our conversation is later in this newsletter. A customer at an H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas. Last month, inflation was its most moderate in four years, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consumer price index rose 2.3% in April, just below consensus expectations of 2.4%. Prices rose 0.2% from March to April on a seasonally adjusted basis. This was the first CPI report after President Donald Trump started enacting tariffs, and some economists expected to see tariff-related inflation reflected in the report. However, it takes some time for newly increased prices to show up in a CPI report; JPMorgan Chase chief U.S. economist Michael Feroli wrote last week that he expects to see tariff-related inflation increase in coming months as tariffs are passed along into consumer prices. Feroli also pointed out that energy prices are going down, as crude oil prices have been at a multi-year low. Last week was another Federal Reserve meeting, and once again, interest rates held steady at the 4.25% to 4.5% they've been at since December. 'The risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen,' the committee said in a statement. As tariffs continue to shake the economy, the committee said, 'uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further.' Considering the uncertain situation, very few predicted any shift in rates—CME's Group's FedWatch tool predicted a 98% chance of a hold, while economists at JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America all forecast no change. The only person who seemed to think a change should come was President Donald Trump, who once again started attacking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on social media after the meeting. ''Too Late' Jerome Powell is a FOOL, who doesn't have a clue,' Trump posted to his Truth Social platform Thursday morning. He added that speaking to Powell is like 'talking to a wall.' Unlike Trump's social media attacks on Powell earlier this month, these didn't crash markets because he didn't threaten to fire Powell, and his U.K. trade deal was announced on the same day. Shipping containers stacked at the Port of Oakland in California in 2023. After weekend negotiations with China, there is a trade deal—or at least elements of a potential deal. A joint statement from the U.S. and China Monday morning says that tariffs are decreasing on both sides—10% for China to the U.S. and 30% for Chinese goods imported into the country—for the next 90 days, allowing for more negotiations between the two countries. This is a significant rollback of the 145% tariff the U.S. imposed on China and the 125% China put on U.S. imports, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said was equivalent to a trade embargo. Bessent said both sides agreed that 'we have a shared interest' and 'neither side wanted a decoupling' of trade. The White House announced Monday evening that the tariff on shipments worth less than $800 coming directly from China—like merchandise from Temu and Shein—was dropping to 54% from a previous 120%. Stocks soared on Monday due to the reduction and pause on Chinese tariffs. By the time the markets closed, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.8%, the S&P 500 saw a 3.3% boost, and the Nasdaq was up 4.4%. But how long will the rally last? While the agreement with China is significant, it's not permanent and subject to further negotiations—meaning things are still uncertain, especially for businesses that deal with imports from China. Consumer prices also may rise based on the former sky-high tariffs since they were in full effect for a month. And deals will only go so far. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that the 10% baseline tariff on all imports will stay in effect no matter what. Several companies have already lowered their outlooks or estimated steep losses in profit because of tariffs—including Toyota, which said it lost an estimated $1.25 billion in profits in March and April alone. A new report from Democratic members of Congress said that the tariffs represent a nail in the coffin for small businesses: Costs are rising, hiring is slowing and firms are already laying off workers, writes Forbes' Brandon Kochkodin. Several small business owners told Kochkodin that their businesses have been damaged irreversibly because of tariffs, and a group of business owners have sued the Trump Administration with the nonprofit legal group New Civil Liberties Alliance, saying that the tariffs are illegal. The Nissan emblem on the grill of a car at a dealer in Titusville, Florida. Job cuts continue across industries, with Nissan sharing plans on Monday to cut more than 10,000 more workers, adding up to 20,000 job cuts announced since November. The automaker saw its profits drop precipitously in the last year—its previous fiscal year profit was 69.8 billion yen ($472 million)—a decline of 88%. Nissan had been in merger talks with Honda last year, but both sides called off the deal in February. Nissan isn't the only automaker that has seen large layoffs. General Motors, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have also announced layoffs for cost-cutting amid economic uncertainty, writes Forbes senior contributor Jack Kelly. UPS said last month it was cutting 20,000 jobs, and many layoffs in the federal government—including a planned 1,500 National Park Service staffers in the run-up to summer—are adding to the year's job cut tally. But while job cuts may be seen as a quick way for a company to free up cash, Forbes senior contributor Caroline Castrillon writes that corporate leaders often overlook some of the costs of layoffs—including severance payments, unemployment insurance tax increases and damage to employee morale and company reputation. Hedley May cofounder and Partner Laura McPhail. In the last two years, Laura McPhail, partner and cofounder at executive search firm Hedley May, has seen a new trend in CFO searches: Companies are looking for CFOs who can eventually become CEO. I talked to her about what she's seeing and why companies are using recruiting for succession planning. This conversation has been edited for length, clarity and continuity. What are you being asked to look for in a CFO who would be an eventual CEO? McPhail: There has been a move away from heavy regulatory compliance accounting, traditional Treasury backgrounds in the CFO role, and more focus on big data because big data is used for productivity and business optimization. It's more of a focus on candidates who have range, who understand the data, who understand how to work with the analytics and how to show productivity with those numbers. Is there a reason for a CFO candidate to be leery of working for a company that is looking for its next CEO? I see it in a more positive light in that companies don't want to look at resumes of candidates that jump around too much. And at the same time, candidates don't want to move so much. It's a lot to move career to career. I think on both sides, they're looking for longevity. If you want a career trajectory to CEO, it's really great if you find a company that is of the same mind, which is why it's important to be transparent. What does this say for the power, viability and future of the CFO to CEO pipeline? It's stronger for candidates who have range and who don't just stay in their own lanes. The more CEOs we talk to, the more it's about using a CFO as a more strategic partner. That means helping the CEO, getting key messages to business leaders—and sometimes that means the CFO is not delivering the kindest messages all the time. It's how do you find a person who can deliver key messages, positive or not, and still maintain a wonderfully positive working environment and a collegial culture. For somebody that would eventually like to be considered for this type of a stepping stone CFO job, what should they be doing to get their resume ready? What responsibilities should they take on to show that they can do it? What that person could be doing is range. Try to think about being a CFO that is more commercially-focused. Where else can you step aside from your role and demonstrate that you have a real ability to work with the business? That may be taking an overseas assignment. That may be running a function that isn't part of your initial remit. Or going to a company and understanding how to [show] you understand the numbers, but you understand [them] from a strategic and a cultural perspective. Nobody wants a CFO who doesn't appreciate life beyond the metrics. It's how can we use this function to advance the culture? Looking for revenue growth? Sometimes, an outside opinion can stoke new ideas. Here are five prompts to put into ChatGPT to help you see new ways to improve your strategy, pricing and value. There are many management strategies, but one of the most effective revolves around creating value for others. Businesses that embody this model tend to grow faster, work better with employees and others, and serve as better corporate community members. Which industry saw the most Q1 dealmaking this year since 2023? A. Oil and gas B. CPG food and beverage C. Video games D. Retail See if you got the right answer here.
