Jannes Klaas, Principal at QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, authored a machine learning book during undergraduate studies while teaching courses on neural networks and gradient descent—fundamentals that remain largely unchanged despite rapid AI evolution, though LSTMs have been superseded by transformer architectures that enable today's scaling laws through bigger models and datasets. Specialising in FinTech code modernisation, he advocates for frontier reasoning models like Claude Opus and GPT-4 over smaller alternatives for complex agentic tasks, noting that cloud provider partnerships dictate enterprise model selection due to security requirements, with Google offering the only on-premises frontier deployment through truck-delivered data centre installations. Challenging neobank disruption narratives, Jannes cites FT analysis showing legacy banks retain dominance through mortgage businesses while successfully investing in technology organisations that dwarf challenger banks, demonstrating that established players have effectively responded to digital threats without losing core market share.