MSCA Digital WP3 Research Seminar

Title of Talk: Ethics of sales in the investment industry in the era of AI: Empirical and normative aspects of the current practice.

Abstract: The paper that will be presented investigates the ethical dimensions of selling AI-based financial products, using examples from the real-life cases of machine learning-based investment funds. The study is the first to address the ethical challenges related to the sales of investment products based on advanced algorithms. In particular, the paper emphasizes the need for transparent communication about uncertainties and knowledge limitations associated with these products. It argues that while regulations often overlook this aspect, acknowledging and disclosing knowledge insufficiencies is crucial to inform clients accurately and avoid overselling. By applying the concept of complex sales, the paper explores the ethical obligations of sales professionals in conveying both the capabilities and limitations of AI-based products. Moreover, the paper investigates the current practices in the investment industry and provides best practice examples.

Speaker’s Bio: Dr. Ekaterina Svetlova is Associate Professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Previously, she held positions as a researcher and a lecturer at the University of Leicester (UK), University of Constance (Germany), Zeppelin University (Germany) and University of Basel (Switzerland). She also gained practical experience as a portfolio manager and financial analyst at an investment bank in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Her interdisciplinary research sits at the intersection of finance, Science and Technology Studies (STS) and economic sociology, and has appeared in AI and Ethics, Journal of Financial Transformation, Socio-Economic Review, Economy and Society, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, AAAJ, among others. Ekaterina is the author of the book Financial Models and Society: Villains or Scapegoats? (2018) and the co-author of the book Chains of Finance: How Investment Management is Shaped(2017).

Register on Meetup: MSCA Digital WP3 Research Seminar