It is appropriate to be starting with the academic community that has played a central role in developing and scrutinizing AI technologies. I look forward to hearing our distinguished speakers’ insights on how banks and regulators should think about the opportunities and challenges posed by AI. 12
The fourth component, forward guidance for policy rates, presents the Bank's stance of maintaining the current extremely low levels of shortand long-term interest rates for an extended period of time, at least through around spring 2020, taking into account uncertainties regarding economic activity and prices including developments in overseas economies and the effects of the scheduled consumption tax hike. B.