At a regional summit of young minds trained in data and dollars, Joseph Plazo—founder of the algorithmic trading firm Plazo Sullivan Roche—delivered a pointed appeal for ethical caution.
MANILA — Plazo didn’t talk about speed or scale.
“Profit isn’t the only thing on the line. So is principle.”
???? **He Built the Bot. But He’s Not Sure We’re Ready for It.**
He isn’t speaking from the sidelines. 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.
“AI can optimise a mistake to perfection if no one stops it.”
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. It was a machine doing math, not reading history.”
???? **Machines Act Fast. But Leadership Sometimes Waits.**
AI’s appeal lies in its instant execution. But at what cost?
“In high-volatility moments, the pause is where leadership happens.”
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?
- Have we cross-checked this with human knowledge—not just system signals?
- Will anyone say, ‘This was my call,’ or just point at the machine?
???? **The Bigger Picture: Asia’s Tech Acceleration and the Governance Gap**
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: “We’re scaling faster than we’re thinking.”
He referenced multiple AI-driven losses in the past year.
“It was failure by design—because no one was allowed to stop it.”
???? **The Alternative: Narrative AI That Considers More Than Numbers**
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.
“The future isn’t faster bots—it’s smarter, humbler ones.”
That idea is already drawing attention.
One investor called Plazo’s talk:
“A blueprint for ethical AI in an unequal world.”
???? **The Final Warning: Crashes Don’t Always Start Loudly**
Plazo ended with a thought that may echo across boardrooms:
“Emotion won’t trigger the read more fall. Certainty will.”
It wasn’t fearmongering. It was foresight.
Because when machines take over the trades, leadership cannot go offline.