AI tools streamline credit analysis and decision-making at benefit street partners

Anant Kumar, a portfolio manager at Benefit Street Partners (BSP), has leveraged AI tools like Codex to significantly speed up credit analysis and investment decision-making. Previously, answering investment committee follow-ups could take days or weeks, but Kumar now handles these queries in a day, often during meetings. He developed a BDC mark tracker using public SEC filings, which compares loan valuations across firms, taking about 10–12 total development hours. Another tool analyzes credit agreements, reducing manual review time by using AI to process 300-page documents in 20 minutes, followed by human review. Kumar describes the tool as a 'second brain' within the organization. BSP is also integrating GPT-6 Astra to enhance its underwriting processes, aiming for continuous monitoring of loans as events unfold. Kumar emphasized that while AI aids data collation and analysis, final investment decisions remain human-driven. 'Codex has unlocked my day,' he said, allowing more time for high-level work.