Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Thomas Crowley — I am originally from Miami and am now a Presidential Scholar and freshman finance student at Florida State University. This past summer, I completed an externship with Energy Innovation Capital, a venture capital firm based out of San Francisco, CA, and this semester I had the opportunity to work with Blue Ivy Coaching, the Americas’ leading education coaching and consulting company, as an M&A Analyst Intern. Through my experiences I have become interested in a career in finance, specifically in healthcare investment banking.

Microfinance and Modern Technology: AI-enabled technologies used by MFIs and their impact on product developers, lenders, and borrowers

Abstract

This research focuses on how AI-enabled technologies are transforming the microfinance industry in India and their implications for operational modalities, social welfare, and gender equity. By investigating an area with limited prior research, the study aims to establish a foundational understanding of AI technologies in developing economies, emphasizing nuanced impacts such as effects on women. The research process involves reading and summarizing academic articles covering topics like the development and implementation of AI in microfinance lending institutions, the influence of microfinance firms on local economies in India, and the effects of global trade on these economies. The consolidated findings will contribute to understanding the broader consequences of AI technologies on social welfare, gender equity, and other aspects of these economies, providing a platform for future studies.

Keywords: AI, Finance, MFI