Explore the application of machine learning and AI in finance through this 45-minute talk. Discover how quantitative hedge fund managers leverage automated processing to extract actionable insights from alternative data sources. Learn about sentiment analysis from textual data, construction of scoring models from complex datasets, and the use of alternative data like extreme weather to quantify impact on companies. Delve into robust portfolio construction by blending alternative data-derived factors with traditional ones, and explore machine learning techniques for asset pricing. Gain valuable insights into the broad applications of AI in finance, including automated intelligence, news sentiment analysis, smart beta strategies, and the challenges of correlation vs causation in alternative data analysis.