Why context, not just data, will define the future of Al in finance

AI's raw intelligence isn't enough. Intuit's Jayanth Saimani reveals why context, domain expertise, and human judgment are crucial for building responsible AI.

- By Shrikanth G

Artificial intelligence may be getting faster, sharper, and more powerful by the day, but power without perspective can be dangerous. In the world of personal finance, where trust and accuracy define livelihoods, raw data alone is not enough. What really matters is context, the ability to understand not just the numbers but the story behind them.

In this conversation with Dataquest, Jayanth Saimani, Distinguished Software Engineer and Director, Intuit, reflects on why domain expertise and human judgment must be woven into AI's very fabric. From rethinking the role of engineers in the GenAI era to placing humans at the heart of machine learning, he argues that the future of responsible AI will be shaped less by scale and more by wisdom. Excerpts.

AI is becoming smarter, but is it becoming wiser? What's the cost of building powerful models without sectoral context, especially in something as sensitive as personal finance? Is that what you mean when you say, 'context at the core of AI'?

Raw intelligence in AI and its ability to crunch numbers and process data is only one part of the equation. What it fundamentally lacks is wisdom, which comes from context. In areas like personal finance, building powerful models with deep domain knowledge is critical. The challenges range from misinterpretation of data to regulatory oversights that directly affect value for customers. That's why at Intuit, we put “context at the core of AI.”