At the 2026 Lujiazui Forum, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co.,Ltd. Chairman Zhang Weizhong delivered a keynote speech on how technological innovation empowers high-quality financial development.

Zhang Weizhong stated that from the perspective of the financial industry, the shift from being capital-intensive to technology-intensive is driven by technological leaps. Observing the overall transformation of finance, three key points warrant attention. First, the rapid advancement and leapfrogging of 人工智能 technology has given rise to the evolution of intelligent agents and the concept of a digital workforce. Second, in terms of capability, autonomous decision-making is accelerating, and the 人工智能 industry is experiencing explosive, non-linear growth. Third, 人工智能 applications are proliferating across all sectors, with rapid improvements in market scale, industrial development, and technological evolution.

Zhang Weizhong pointed out that 人工智能 is no longer advancing in a single-point or incremental manner but is undergoing comprehensive leaps and progress, which is fundamentally reforming the underlying logic.

"It is now evident that many Financial Institutions previously favored standardized products and were unable to handle diverse, customized offerings. Today, through data analysis and scientific reasoning, products can be tailored to each individual, providing customized solutions based on one's asset status, preferences, and risk profile," he said. Regarding this progress, Zhang highlighted three impacts. First, it truly starts from customer needs and analysis to customize business, products, and services, genuinely returning to a customer-centric approach, unlike the past where theory was abundant but implementation was difficult. Second, a key characteristic is the democratization of access, driven by technology. There has been a significant shift from providing comprehensive service packages primarily for high-end clients to offering solutions for long-tail and basic customers. Third, there is an improvement in advisory services, comprehensive services, and customized services.

"If this is observed, the transformation of the financial industry is a predetermined direction, an inevitable trend, and a model that must change," he stated.