The 4th edition of the CAP IT congress was held on March 18, 2025, at the Palais des Congrès, gathering 600 participants. Women in Big Data Paris, a historical partner, had the pleasure of participating in this day filled with exchanges and opportunities around technological challenges in the Banking, Insurance, and Finance sectors.

A day under the sign of Innovation

The day began with an inspiring keynote by Florence Giuliano from SAS France on the theme “Reinventing tomorrow’s Finance with AI: challenges and perspectives.” Her key message: AI represents a major transformation for the financial sector, with considerable potential to revive growth in Europe, provided there is massive investment in this field.

Insightful round tables

Five round tables punctuated the day, addressing strategic themes for the sector:

1. DATA: What prerequisites to extract the full value of AI?
   Experts emphasized the importance of organizing and prioritizing data to generate the most relevant use cases, while insisting on quality, traceability, and governance issues.
2. SOVEREIGNTY: Has the payment war been declared in Europe?
   This round table explored the Wero initiative and its implications for instant payment in Europe, questioning the future of card payments and sovereignty issues in the face of BigTechs.
3. GENERATIVE AI: From POC to scaling
   Two years after the release of ChatGPT, speakers shared their first feedback, addressing use case prioritization, ROI, and technical, organizational, environmental, and ethical challenges.
4. CYBERSECURITY in the age of AI
   How to protect against the explosion of AI-boosted cyberattacks? Experts discussed the automation of attack detection, API security, and the implications of the DORA regulation for the financial sector.
5. OPEN FINANCE and API-fication of Banking and Insurance
   New European regulations (PSD3, PSR, and FIDA) were at the heart of discussions, questioning their impact on business models and collaboration between fintechs and traditional players.

Concrete Experience Feedback

Among the 26 experience reports presented, several particularly caught our attention:

• The hybridization between classical AI and generative AI at Covea, demonstrating gains in frugality and sovereignty
• The transformation of compliance at La Banque Postale, with the Compliance 2.0 program
• The large-scale deployment of generative AI at BPCE Assurances for automatic generation of call reports
• The use of AI for fraud prevention in payments at Heptalytics
• The implementation of intelligent chatbots to improve productivity and customer experience

“Cap ou pas Cap” debates (Are you up for it?)

Two debates enriched the program:

1. GREEN IT: Are new technologies and the environment condemned to be incompatible?
   This debate explored solutions and methods to limit the environmental impact of technologies in the financial sector.
2. Will asset tokenization be the next revolution in Banking and Insurance?
   Speakers discussed the first use cases and development potential of digital assets and crypto assets.

Women in Big Data Paris at the heart of the action

Caroline Hoang and Nellie Maufras had the honor of hosting a booth in the partners’ area, providing a showcase for our initiatives and fostering exchanges with industry professionals. This presence allowed us to promote our mission of inclusion and diversity in the field of data and AI, particularly relevant in a sector undergoing technological transformation.

As every year, the objective was clear : to promote Women in Big Data Paris to as many women as possible. The reception from participants was fantastic! Each one had a positive intention: to belong to a community, to benefit from mentoring, to become a speaker or simply out of intellectual curiosity, etc.

Key Takeaways from the Event

1. Generative AI moves from POC to industrialization: Financial sector companies are now deploying generative AI solutions at scale, with a focus on security, ethics, and ROI.
2. Digital sovereignty becomes a strategic issue: Facing technology giants, Europe seeks to develop its own solutions, particularly in the payment field.
3. Data remains the foundation of any successful AI strategy: Without solid governance and assured data quality, AI projects cannot reach their full potential.
4. The balance between innovation and regulatory compliance: New regulations (DORA, FIDA, PSD3) are shaping the innovation landscape in the financial sector.
5. The environmental dimension is becoming essential in technological strategies: Green IT is no longer an option but a necessity to reconcile digital transformation and environmental responsibility.

This engagement at CAP IT 2025 not only showcased the organization’s commitment to fostering diversity in the tech sector but also demonstrated the growing interest in communities that support women in data and AI roles. The event provided a platform for Women in Big Data Paris to connect with potential new members, share knowledge, and contribute to shaping a more inclusive future in the financial sector’s technological landscape.