THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION IN FINANCE: FROM ALGORITHMS TO STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS

A rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is transforming the financial sector, changing approaches to automating operations, analyzing data bulk, forecasting, risk management, customer service, and making management decisions. The relevance of the study is due to the need to transition from the fragmented and predominantly operational use of algorithmic tools to their systemic integration into strategic management in finance. The purpose of the study is to systematize the areas of application of AI in the financial sector and substantiate the conceptual model of the transition from the operational use of algorithmic tools to the strategic level of management. To achieve the set goal, systemic, historical-logical, comparative, and classification methods were used. The main results of the study are the identification of four stages of the evolution of AI applications in finance: algorithmic-rule, machine learning, deep learning, and generative-strategic. The key areas of AI use are systematized by the level of managerial influence - from the automation of routine operations and support of individual business processes to forecasting, risk management, personalization of financial services, and the formation of strategic management decisions. The technological, regulatory, reputational, ethical, and systemic risks associated with scaling AI in the financial sector are summarized. A five-level maturity model of AI application is proposed, which involves a sequential transition from experimental, operational, and integrated levels to the level of managerial transformation and strategic use of technologies.It is concluded that the strategic value of AI is determined not by the number of implemented technological solutions, but by the degree of their integration into the corporate governance system, the quality and availability of data, the effectiveness of model management, personnel competencies, the explainability of algorithmic solutions, compliance with regulatory requirements, and the effectiveness of risk control. The strategic integration of AI creates the prerequisites for increasing the adaptability, competitiveness, and sustainability of the financial sector.