AI in Fintech: Friend, Threat, or Force for Growth?
At Crassula, we don't see artificial intelligence as a threat to the workforce — we see it as a partner. While sensational headlines claim that AI could wipe out two billion jobs in the coming years, credible research paints a very different picture.
According to McKinsey, up to 800 million jobs could be automated by 2030, and the World Economic Forum estimates that 40% of workers may see significant shifts in their roles by 2027. But this doesn't mean mass unemployment — it signals a global shift toward reskilling, role transformation, and adaptability.
"Many studies show AI boosts employee productivity by 37% on cognitive tasks. As well as, Harvard Business School reports that workers using AI tools complete tasks 25% faster. AI is not replacing us — it's amplifying us."
At Crassula, we’ve already integrated AI proficiency into our hiring process. In the near future, recruiting AI assistants alongside human candidates may become standard practice — as partners in productivity, not replacements.
On May 23, 2025 we hosted an online roundtable discussion between Crassula colleagues to exchange knowledge and discuss how different departments are leveraging AI powers.
The Rise of Vertical AI Agents
Our Co-CEO and Co-Founder Alex Novozhenovs opens up the discussion: “AI giants, such as Open AI, Meta, Google and others, are shifting focus from general AI to developing vertical-specific agents. They are training systems to be experts in specific areas, the most popular of which is programming agents that are made to help in writing and reviewing code."
Specialized AI tools tailored to individual roles are more effective than one-size-fits-all solutions. As well as, at Crassula we support usage of paid versions of AI tools. For example there is a big difference in using the free version of ChatGPT or the paid one, as the paid version allows creating different projects and chats with different prompts that will be used in the future - that saves a lot of time and mental energy.
AI as a Junior Developer
For our developers and tech team leads, AI isn’t magic. It’s a junior developer-level assistant that can significantly accelerate progress — as long as it’s guided properly.
“Used correctly, AI speeds up development, helps with refactoring, and even generates unit tests. But it still needs oversight. You can’t expect AI to write perfect code — it needs a code review, just like any junior,”
The majority of roundtable speakers mentioned Windsurf and JetBrains AI as favorite tools for their deep project context capabilities. Compared to early tools, newer assistants analyze full codebases, refactor intelligently, and even auto-generate documentation. However, another Technical Lead Vjaceslavs Kanivecs and CTO Vladislavs Nikolayevs prefer Claude 3.7 sonnet for working with code and technical tasks. It shows that there are different solutions on the market and every person can find what fits their needs best.
Despite AI's power, it’s not infallible. Sometimes explaining the full context to AI takes longer than just simply writing the code. You must still verify everything AI outputs as it might suggest non-existent versions or incorrect logic. Accuracy, especially in areas like database changes, remains a human responsibility. That’s why our Head of QA Anatolii Vlasov still advocates for continued manual testing and QA oversight, even as AI helps generate test scenarios and optimize the work before final manual tests.
“AI is more effective at writing new code than editing old systems. That’s why we're exploring microservice architecture — modular systems allow AI to contribute without disrupting the whole system. For example, Vladislav developed the new tech project from the beginning to end using Claude 3.7 in just 8 hours, that would be about 2 weeks of real coding.”
Across Crassula, we’re also committed to upskilling our teams. From automated testing courses to AI tool education, we're investing in our people so they can work smarter with AI, not fear it.
Leveraging AI as a Thought Partner
We all agree that AI tools are very helpful with technical tasks but at Crassula we are using them almost at every department. For example, our Lead Business Analyst Victoria Moiseeva shared how ChatGPT has become a go-to assistant:
“I use it to draft and refine documents, structure thoughts, and even critique ideas. It’s like having a colleague to brainstorm with. It won't do the job for you - but it helps you think faster and write better.”
Lack of information for AI is the same as lack of information for a real person, do not expect AI to figure out everything on its own if you do not provide enough information. However, it brings value by helping with the “blank paper sheet” phenomenon when it is difficult to start writing text or you can actually have a brainstorming session with your AI assistant as a real colleague.
Building Our Own: Crassula AI
Our Chief Process Officer Alexey Fomin is leading the development of a multipurpose AI agent – an internal initiative that integrates Jira, Confluence, our Data Warehouse, and a broad range of other IT systems used across Crassula. The aim is to bridge knowledge gaps, synchronise people and information sources, support client compliance, and elevate employee performance to the next level.
To meet the highest security standards of the fintech world, Crassula AI is built to operate fully on-premise — ensuring strict compliance and preventing any data exposure to third-party services.
“For the first phase, we’ve unified our public Help Center and API documentation into a single knowledge shard and added a convenient interface to interact with the AI. Eventually, each client will have a personalised AI agent familiar with their specific project configurations, tickets, contracts, and related data — enabling instant, contextual support. Whether it’s just housekeeping open tickets or generating a DORA report for an auditor based on our internal processes and policies, the AI will be ready.”
This goes far beyond a chatbot — it's the foundation of a client-facing, self-serve intelligence layer with access to a wide range of information sources, capable of connecting the dots and delivering insights in a clear, actionable format.
Final Thoughts
AI is a tool — not a replacement. Used wisely, it boosts creativity, reduces grunt work, and unlocks new efficiencies. At Crassula, we’re not waiting for the future — we're building it.
Whether it’s a junior coder AI assistant, a compliance-support bot, or a strategic brainstorming partner, AI is already integrated into our daily work — and it's only getting better.
We believe the future of FinTech isn't human or AI — it's human with AI.
