# Conferences

![Rob Engle speaking at conference](/sites/default/files/styles/866w/public/2024-01/230428-NYU-23-0517-154.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=1jvNROcu)

##  Seventh Annual Volatility and Risk Institute Conference

Artificial Intelligence and Risk Management

Friday, April 24, 2026

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## **Seventh Annual Volatility and Risk Institute Conference**

### **Artificial Intelligence and Risk Management**

Friday, April 24, 2026

The Volatility and Risk Institute held its annual conference on Friday, April 24, 2026, on the topic of "Artificial Intelligence and Risk Management."

The full conference videos are available on our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_WgpQhcWtjmVQxA7tqCbpjcE75q3jtuh).

**Conference Agenda**

**7:45am:** Registration & Coffee

**8:20am - 8:30am: Introduction:** [**Richard Berner**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/richard-berner) and [**Robert Engle**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/robert-engle), Co-Directors, Volatility and Risk Institute at NYU Stern

**8:30am - 9:00am**: **Morning Keynote**: [**Michael Hsu**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hsu-992257347/), Co-Chair, ML Commons Financial Services; former Acting Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) - AI, Risk Management and Financial Stability: A Regulator's Perspective

**9:00am - 10:00am:** **AI Opportunities and Risks**

- [**Vasant Dhar**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/vasant-dhar)*,* NYU Stern, Moderator, Author of [Th](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[in](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[k](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[in](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[g With M](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[ac](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[h](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[i](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[n](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)[es](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World/dp/1394359055/)
- [**Melissa Koide**](https://finreglab.org/authors/melissa-koide/), CEO & Director, FinRegLab,[ AI in Financial Services](https://finreglab.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-FinRegLab-AI-Symposium-Report.pdf)
- [**Andrea Bonime-Blanc**](https://gecrisk.com/about/), Founder & CEO, GEC Risk Advisory; Author,[ Governing Pandora: Leading in the Age of Generative AI and Exponential Technology](https://gecrisk.com/book/governing-pandora/)

**10:00am - 10:15am:** *Break*

**10:15am - 11:45am: AI and Risk Management Tools**

- [**Ilan Lobel**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/ilan-lobel)*,* NYU Stern, Chair
- [**Petter** **Kolm**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/petterkolm/), NYU Courant,[ Deep learning alpha signals from limit order books: practical insights and lessons learned](https://www.risk.net/cutting-edge/7961982/deep-learning-alpha-signals-from-limit-order-books-practical-insights-and-lessons-learned) (joint work with Nicholas Westray)
- [**Marcos López de Prado**](https://quantresearch.org/) (virtual)**,** Global Head - Quantitative Research & Development, ADIA; Professor of Practice, Cornell University's College of Engineering, [Correcting the Factor Mirage: A Research Protocol for Causal Factor Investing](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5931616) (co-authored with Vincent Zoonekynd)
- [**William N. Goetzmann**](https://som.yale.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/william-n-goetzmann), Yale University,[ Emotions and Subjective Crash Beliefs](https://www.nber.org/papers/w32589) (co-authored with Dasol Kim, and Robert J. Shiller)

**12:00pm - 1:30pm:** ***Lunch***

**12:45pm - 1:15pm: Lunch Keynote**: [**William Dudley**](https://brettonwoods.org/william-c-dudley/), Chair, Bretton Woods Committee,[ Governing Artificial Intelligence Across the Global Financial System](https://brettonwoods.org/governing-artificial-intelligence-across-the-financial-system/)

**1:45pm - 3:30pm: AI for Research**

- [**João Sedoc**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/joao-sedoc)**,** NYU Stern, Chair
- [**Bryan Kelly**](https://www.bryankellyacademic.org/), Frederick Frank ’54 and Mary C. Tanner Professor of Finance at the Yale School of Management and Head of Machine Learning at AQR Capital Management, [Th](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[e ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[In](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[e](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[ff](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[i](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[cie](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[n](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[t Pricin](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[g](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[ of New](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399)[s](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6540399) (co-authored with Mo Pourmohammadi, Antoine Didisheim, Hanqing Tian)
- [**Robert Richmond**](https://robertjrichmond.com/), NYU Stern,[ Asset Embeddings](https://ssrn.com/abstract=4507511) (co-authored with Xavier Gabaix, Ralph S.J. Koijen, Motohiro Yogo)
- [**Sebastian Hillenbrand**](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1431982)**,** Harvard Business School*,*[ Inflation Uncertainty: Measurement, Causes, and Consequences](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5473626) (co-authored with Viral Acharya, Venky Venkateswaran, and Margaret Underwood)
- [**Sophia Kazinnik**](https://sophiakazinnik.com/)**,** Stanford University, [Ex M](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[a](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ch](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[in](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[a:](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[Fi](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[n](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[an](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[c](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ial S](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ta](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[b](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[i](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[li](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ty ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[i](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[n](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[t](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[he](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[Ag](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[e ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[of Artifici](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[a](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[l](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ ](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[I](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[n](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[t](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[e](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[llig](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139)[ence](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543139) (co-authored with Kartik Anand, Agnese Leonello, and Ettore Panetti)

**3:30pm - 3:45pm:** *Break*

**3:45pm - 4:15pm: AI Education**

- [**William May**](https://www.garp.org/about/management-team)**,** Managing Director, Global Head, Certifications and Educational Programs, Global Association for Risk Professionals (GARP) - Risk and AI Education: the RAI Experience

**4:15pm - 4:45pm: New Tools for Risk Assessment in VLab** with [**Robert Engle**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/robert-engle) and [**Richard Berner**](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/richard-berner)

**4:45 pm - 5:15pm: Fireside Chat** with [**Philippe Aghion**](https://www.insead.edu/faculty/philippe-aghion) (virtual), Nobel Laureate; Kurt Björklund Chaired Professor in Innovation and Growth at INSEAD; Professor, Collège de France; Visiting Professor, London School of Economics

***5:30pm: Wine & cheese reception***

#### **Conference Theme**

Artificial intelligence (AI) creates vast opportunities for reshaping business and the economy. It has the potential to enhance productivity, reduce costs, accelerate operations, and deliver significant benefits to consumers and society. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in finance, where AI tools can analyze vast quantities of information to inform business decisions, improve efficiency, and reduce human error. It can thus streamline business processes and free up resources for more productive uses.

However, like all major innovations, AI also carries risks. It can itself be prone to error, and developing sound practices to ensure its responsible use - and to avoid potential misuse - is essential.

This conference examined both the opportunities and challenges of applying AI to identify and manage risks in finance and related activities. Topics included enhancing the monitoring of firms, markets, and their activities, as well as enabling deeper research into financial and systemic risks -- including identifying and addressing data gaps exposed by such analysis.

### **Recent Conferences**

Visit our[ past conferences page](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-research/volatility-and-risk-institute/events/past-conferences) for information and videos from our prior conferences.