Embracing the Future: CRIF’s approach to AI and innovation

At CRIF, innovation is not just a guiding principle but the foundation upon which we build our solutions. As a global leader in data-driven insights and technology, we continuously adapt to the evolving needs of the financial industry.

CRIF's journey into AI began in the nineties by introducing Credit Analytics, a system that applies regression techniques on traditional databases to analyze and assess credit risk.

In 2010, the focus expanded towards Credit Marketing, with benchmarking solutions and tools for risk-weighted targeting, allowing companies to improve risk segmentation and management.

In 2013, CRIF embraced the potential of Big Data and Machine Learning, implementing advanced models on alternative data and the cloud. In parallel, since 2015, GIS analysis and spatial networks have begun to be integrated into business strategies, providing an additional layer of sophistication in decision-making processes.

The year 2016 marks the introduction of Insurance Analytics, to bring greater innovation and precision to insurance through advanced analytics. Subsequently, between 2017 and 2018, Computer Vision and Text Mining Time Series technologies were introduced into workflows via neural networks, allowing massive amounts of unstructured data to be managed.

In 2019, CRIF further evolved with Deep Learning technologies to refine analytical capabilities in all business sectors, while in 2020 ESG sustainability indicators were introduced to promote the integration of environmental, social, and governance criteria into business decisions.

With a rich history of leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive transformation, CRIF is investing in the potential of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

Our commitment to generative AI (GenAI) reflects this forward-thinking approach, balancing the urgency of delivering immediate value with the foresight to enable long-term transformation.

The introduction of our GenAI Factory in 2023 has set the stage for this journey, establishing a dedicated hub for developing, experimenting, and scaling GenAI solutions across the organization. Looking ahead, our roadmap reflects a clear and focused strategy: harnessing GenAI to empower our customers, enhance operational excellence, and deliver superior customer experiences.

CRIF's GenAI Factory is driven by several key principles:

• Governance: With numerous GenAI solutions already in production, CRIF emphasises the relevance of proper governance frameworks to guarantee an ethical use of AI, balancing innovation and responsibility. Particularly, in cooperation with major University Research Centers, CRIF has developed specific solutions to address biases and secure technical robustness, while ensuring adherence to the evolving regulatory landscape. In this direction, CRIF is engaged in the diverse EU fora to define the next steps of implementation of legislative frameworks, such as the incoming Code of Practice for general purposes AI, participating in the EU AI Office Working Groups on risk identification and mitigation to meet the April 2025 deadline established in the EU AI act. From the beginning of our journey, we have assessed the privacy impacts of GenAI uses while ensuring transparency and fairness of outputs.
• Data Expertise: Leveraging CRIF's extensive data repository, the GenAI Factory ensures access to high-quality, accurate, and relevant data crucial for the effective training and deployment of GenAI models.
• Innovation: CRIF has a long-standing history as a leader in data and innovation. First by launching CRIF's GenAI Factory, a venture-building unit, aimed at fostering innovation and experimentation, now transitioning to the Factory phase for stepping from ideation to large-scale implementation.
• Productivity and Process Optimization: The GenAI Factory aims to enhance personal productivity and optimise internal processes, streamlining operations and reallocating resources towards higher-value activities.

These principles ensure that every GenAI solution not only delivers measurable benefits, such as enhanced efficiency, reduced costs, and improved decision-making but also fosters trust and accountability by adhering to the highest ethical standards. By embedding privacy, fairness, and transparency into the core of our GenAI initiatives, we empower institutions to harness the transformative power of AI responsibly, building sustainable value for both businesses and their customers.

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Guiding Principles of Innovation

CRIF’s innovation roadmap is driven by a set of foundational principles that ensure every initiative is purposeful, customer-centric, and aligned with our vision for transformative excellence for the Financial Services industry:?

1. Pragmatic Innovation - We focus on creating cutting-edge solutions that are practical and immediately applicable to real-world challenges. Our goal is to solve problems that matter most to our partners and their customers.
2. Responsible AI - As GenAI continues to evolve, so do the ethical and governance challenges associated with its adoption. CRIF is committed to building solutions that adhere to robust ethical frameworks, minimize bias, and comply with all relevant regulations.
3. Customer-Centricity - Every solution we develop begins with the customer in mind. By focusing on use cases that enhance customer engagement and satisfaction, we ensure that our partners are well-equipped to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
4. Scalability and Adaptability - Our GenAI capabilities are designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing financial institutions of all sizes to benefit from our innovations. Whether it's a regional bank or a global financial institution, our tools can be tailored to fit their unique needs.
5. Continuous Improvement - The financial industry is dynamic, and so is our approach. We continually refine our roadmap based on feedback from our partners, market trends, and emerging technologies, ensuring that our solutions remain relevant and effective.

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?Delivering Impact in 2025?

Our 2025 roadmap is strategically centered on high-impact GenAI applications, designed to tackle the most pressing challenges faced by the financial industry. These initiatives aim to drive meaningful transformation by enhancing efficiency, improving risk management, and elevating customer experiences. Key focus areas include:

1. Operational Efficiency - Utilizing GenAI to streamline time-intensive processes such as document analysis, compliance checks, and workflow optimization. These initiatives are designed to free up human resources for more strategic, value-added activities while reducing costs and improving accuracy.
2. Risk and Compliance—Enhancing banks' capabilities to meet constantly evolving regulatory requirements and identify and mitigate risks through GenAI-powered tools that automate regulatory evolution monitoring, fraud detection, and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes. These solutions will help institutions confidently navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
3. Customer Experience - Enabling financial institutions to elevate customer interactions by delivering personalized recommendations, advanced conversational AI capabilities, and 24/7 intelligent support. By leveraging GenAI, banks can foster stronger relationships and build trust with their clients.

These initiatives are seamlessly integrated into our next-generation composable cloud platform, designed to enable effortless implementation while delivering measurable outcomes. By combining flexibility with advanced capabilities, this platform ensures institutions can adapt quickly to evolving needs, scale solutions efficiently, and unlock tangible value across operations, compliance, and customer engagement.?

Long-Term Vision: Sustained Innovation Beyond 2025

As we look beyond 2025, our roadmap shifts toward more transformative applications of GenAI that will fundamentally redefine how financial institutions operate. Our long-term vision focuses on developing solutions that are not only innovative but also scalable, adaptable, and capable of meeting the evolving demands of the industry.

?Highlights of our long-term roadmap include:?

1. Predictive Analytics and Decision-Making - Expanding the role of AI in decision-making processes through advanced predictive models and tools that provide explainable insights. These innovations will enable financial institutions to anticipate customer needs, manage risks more effectively, and make data-driven decisions with greater precision.
2. Advanced Process Automation - Moving beyond routine automation to develop GenAI tools that can autonomously optimize complex processes, such as loan underwriting, credit scoring, and fraud prevention. These advancements will further reduce operational costs and improve turnaround times.
3. Next-Generation Conversational AI - Developing sophisticated conversational agents capable of handling nuanced customer interactions, delivering personalized solutions, and adapting to evolving customer expectations in real time. These tools will enable institutions to build deeper relationships with their clients while maintaining operational scalability.
4. Intelligent Configuration Tools - Creating dynamic systems that can configure products, services, and workflows automatically based on real-time data inputs and customer needs. This innovation will empower banks to offer hyper-personalized solutions without increasing complexity.

These innovations are strategically aligned with emerging industry trends, ensuring that CRIF’s solutions not only stay ahead of the curve but also deliver exceptional relevance, scalability, and impact. By anticipating market shifts and evolving customer needs, we empower institutions to thrive in a dynamic landscape with forward-thinking, future-proof tools.?

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Delivering on Our Mission

At CRIF, our mission is to empower financial institutions with cutting-edge tools and technologies that unlock new opportunities, drive operational excellence, and deliver exceptional value. This commitment goes beyond innovation—it’s about reshaping the financial services landscape to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry.

Central to this vision is the GenAI Factory, which serves as the cornerstone of our efforts to integrate generative AI seamlessly into the fabric of financial institutions. Through this initiative, we enable our partners to anticipate market opportunities, streamline operations, and deliver hyper-personalized solutions. For example, predictive models powered by GenAI can help institutions identify emerging trends and proactively address customer needs, while intelligent automation reduces inefficiencies and reallocates resources to strategic activities.

CRIF’s collaborative approach ensures that innovation is not developed in isolation but co-created with our partners. This partnership-driven model allows us to tackle today’s critical challenges, such as regulatory complexities and fraud prevention, while laying the groundwork for future opportunities. Institutions benefit from simplified compliance processes, enhanced risk management tools, and reimagined workflows that are faster, smarter, and more effective.

At the same time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to sustainability. By embedding ESG principles into our AI solutions, we help businesses align their goals with environmental, social, and governance priorities, ensuring long-term impact and responsibility.

Our roadmap reflects an unwavering dedication to responsible innovation. Every solution we develop adheres to ethical principles, including fairness, transparency, and accountability, building trust with stakeholders while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. We continuously refine our offerings, adapting to market shifts and technological advancements to maintain the relevance and impact of our solutions.

As we shape the future of banking, we invite financial institutions to join us on this transformative journey. Partnering with CRIF means gaining access to groundbreaking tools and deep expertise that ensure success in an ever-changing industry. Together, we can create smarter, more sustainable financial services that deliver lasting value.

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