FinTech Ethics and Risks

This module provides a historical and broad perspective of ethical issues relating to finance and the introduction or adoption of emerging technologies. Students will explore foundational ethical concepts in finance and examine how new technologies are transforming traditional financial systems, raising important ethical considerations.

This module expands on blockchain technology concepts to examine the most relevant and ethical ways such technology should be implemented across different industries and product segments. The module covers important issues including data collection, customer privacy, and transactional issues related to blockchain implementation.

This module examines how FinTech tools can both enhance security by making it easier and cheaper for banks to monitor financial transactions and reduce fraud, while also potentially enabling criminal activities. The module considers the implications of these technologies for security threats, illegal transactions, terrorism financing, and other criminal uses.

This module explores the implications of building human concepts of morality into AI systems and examines whether human biases and prejudices can be unintentionally or purposefully integrated into these technologies. Students will learn about the ethical challenges of implementing AI in financial services and how to develop more equitable AI systems.

This module addresses fundamental questions about whether FinTech should lead to a decentralized, democratized system of finance or whether existing institutions will adopt FinTech strategies to maintain their dominance. The module explores technologies like cryptocurrencies, non-government issued IDs, and P2P lending that enable greater participation in financial systems by regular people.

This final module considers outstanding questions about the purpose and impact of introducing FinTech globally. Students will explore how FinTech can both help society through financial inclusion and sustainable development, while also potentially inhibiting access to financial markets or causing other harms. The module provides a comprehensive examination of FinTech's dual potential.