Cracking the Code: Alternative data and AI for Financial Inclusion
Traditional credit scoring systems frequently exclude individuals and small businesses that lack formal financial histories — a group that disproportionately includes women entrepreneurs, low-income borrowers, and those operating in the informal economy across emerging markets. This structural gap perpetuates cycles of financial exclusion and limits economic opportunity.
The IFC report Cracking the Credit Code: Alternative Data and AI for Financial Inclusion, published in May 2026, examines how the use of alternative data sources — including mobile money transactions, digital payments, and business/platform records — combined with artificial intelligence, is transforming credit scoring and expanding access to finance for underserved borrowers.
Key findings from the report include
- Alternative data-driven AI models are already helping expand access to credit for individuals and small businesses previously excluded from formal financial systems.
- Women borrowers often perform as well as or better than men when assessed using these models, highlighting the potential to narrow persistent gender gaps in credit access.
- Realizing the full potential of these innovations requires thoughtful implementation, improved data governance, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure new credit systems remain transparent, inclusive, and trustworthy.
Join us for the launch of this report, where we will unpack the findings and hear directly from practitioners who are putting these tools to work.
Speakers
- Robin Mearns, Director, WBG Gender
- Namita Datta, Principal Economist, WBG Gender
- Qamar Saleem, SME Finance Forum Head
- Karan Singhal, Economist, WBG Gender
- Jaylan ElShazly, Operations Officer, Digital Thematic Focal Point, WBG Gender
- Chilufya Mutale-Mwila, Co-founder, eShandi
- Natasha Jethanandani, Co-founder and CTO, Kaleidofin
- Carrie Ruh, VP of Risk and Head of Impact, Accial Capital
- Hector Shibata Salazar, Chief of Global Digital Finance, IFC, World Bank Group
- Anushe Khan, Senior Operations Officer, Banking on Women and Financial Inclusion, World Bank Group
