This TMU prof helps shape Canada’s AI rules for the financial sector

That unique skillset is rare - and valuable.

National and international impact

Rubtsov's work will help inform policies that ultimately affect every Canadian. The Department of Finance plays a key role in guiding the country's financial system.

"The impact of this work is immediate and visible, " says Rubtsov. "Canada's policy response is being informed by engagement with international peers in Singapore, the U.S., the U.K., and the European Union."

In Canada the work involves close engagement with key regulators, including the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

One major result has been the creation of the Financial Industry Forum on Artificial Intelligence (FIFAI). It's Canada's first national platform bringing together government, regulators and industry to discuss AI adoption in the financial sector.

The interim report, based on the forum's first workshop on security and cybersecurity, is now public (external link) . Three more high-profile workshops are scheduled this year, covering financial crime, consumer protection and financial stability.

"Few universities can point to this kind of engagement," says Rubtsov. "It makes me proud that TMU was approached to contribute to this work, and that I can help shape policies with real impact."

What students gain

Rubtsov brings this high-level experience directly into his TMU classroom.

"When you teach math, students often ask, 'Why do I need it?'" he says. "To motivate them, you need to show how it's applied in real life. Once they realize that you can't really regulate what you don't understand-and that math is at the core of AI-they start paying more attention."

His students aren't just learning theory - they're learning from someone directly involved in shaping how AI is governed in Canada's financial system.