Inside the Asian Institute of Management, Joseph Plazo—founder of the algorithmic trading firm Plazo Sullivan Roche—broke the rhythm of praise for AI with a moment of reckoning.
From Manila, where financial optimism runs high — Plazo didn’t talk about speed or scale.
“If you hand over your portfolio to a machine,” he said, “you must ask: does it reflect your ethics—or just your ambitions?”
???? **He Built the Bot. But He’s Not Sure We’re Ready for It.**
Plazo is not new to this space. His firm’s AI systems have posted a 99% win rate across key timeframes and are in use by institutional clients across Europe and Asia.
Yet even with these results, he insists—performance isn’t the only metric.
“Optimisation is only part of the equation,” Plazo explained. “Direction, purpose—those remain human.”
He shared a case from the early days of the pandemic. One of his firm’s bots flagged a short on gold just before the U.S. Federal Reserve issued an emergency policy shift.
“We overrode it. The algorithm was correct—but profoundly unaware.”
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In elite financial circles, speed is often glorified.
“We must remember that a moment of hesitation can protect reputations—and futures.”
Plazo introduced a framework he calls **“Conviction Calculus”**—three questions that must be asked before executing an AI recommendation:
- Does this decision align with our values—not just our strategy?
- Is there non-digital confirmation? What do experience, memory, and culture say?
- Will anyone say, ‘This was my call,’ or just point at the machine?
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Across Asia, nations are investing heavily in fintech and AI-driven innovation. From Singapore to South Korea, the push toward automation is framed as economic strategy.
But Plazo’s question cuts deeper: “Are we building intelligence without wisdom?”
He cited the 2024 collapse of two Hong Kong hedge funds.
“No one made a mistake. But no here one questioned the machine either.”
???? **A New Path: Machines That Listen as Well as Compute**
Plazo is not anti-AI. He’s pro-responsibility.
His firm is developing what he calls **“narrative-integrated AI”**—models that factor in geopolitics, tone, and social context alongside market data.
“Machines that don’t just predict, but understand.”
At a private dinner after the event, multiple venture capital leaders discussed collaborations.
One investor called Plazo’s talk:
“A blueprint for ethical AI in an unequal world.”
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Plazo ended with a thought that may echo across boardrooms:
“We won’t be victims of chaos—but of unchecked confidence.”
It wasn’t fearmongering. It was foresight.
Because when machines take over the trades, conscience cannot be coded out.