The Future of Wealth Management: Tech, Trust & AI – Fintech Garden

Episode 128: Rob Lunn: Beyond the Hype: What AI Can and Cannot Do in Treasury, Accounting, and FX.

In this episode, host Igor Tomych sits down with Rob Lunn, Fintech Product Leader at Fnality, to unpack what’s truly possible with AI in financial operations, and where the hype still outweighs reality. With decades of experience across payments, treasury, and automation, Rob delivers a nuanced, technical perspective on where AI belongs in finance.

Key Insights from the Conversation #

Automation’s Real Limits: Rob explains that many fintechs overestimate AI’s capabilities. True intelligence in finance requires context, something most systems still lack.

The Data Challenge: AI is only as good as the data it’s fed. Rob highlights how data silos and inconsistent records make automation unreliable for many banks and fintechs.

AI Agents vs. RPAs: Instead of replacing rule-based automation, Rob predicts that AI agents will operate alongside it, focusing on pattern recognition, fraud detection, and reconciliation.

Developers’ New Role: As code abstraction increases, developers must learn to orchestrate systems, not just write them. Understanding financial workflows will soon be more valuable than syntax.

Ethics and Regulation: Rob discusses the moral and legal limits of AI in decision-making, especially in credit, FX, and liquidity management, where bias or misjudgment can have systemic effects.

Lessons from Practice: Years spent building automation systems taught Rob that effective AI begins with clean data, clear processes, and human collaboration, not just models and APIs.

The State and Future of Fintech AI #

While many see AI as a revolutionary force, Rob believes its success depends on building bridges between legacy systems and modern infrastructure. Without this foundation, AI risks becoming a costly illusion.

Why Listen #

This episode is a must-listen for fintech builders, CFOs, and product leaders curious about automation’s future. Rob Lunn’s experience brings clarity to a field often clouded by hype, offering a roadmap for responsible, effective AI adoption in finance.