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.

Inside one of Southeast Asia’s most influential business schools — What he offered instead was something rarely heard in AI circles: resistance.

“The machine may be faster. But are we still the ones deciding what matters?”

???? **The Man Behind the Model—Now Questioning Its Impact**

He’s not critiquing technology from a safe distance. 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.

Still, he asks: what happens when efficiency erases human context?

“Speed is seductive. But context is critical.”

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 understood signals. But not sentiment.”

???? **Why Strategic Hesitation May Be Our Last Line of Defense**

Traders are trained to move quickly—too quickly.

“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?
- Have we cross-checked this with human knowledge—not just system signals?
- Will get more info 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 warned of systems designed to win—but not to pause.

“These weren’t errors of greed or emotion. They were perfectly logical moves—executed without context.”

???? **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.

“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.”

???? **What Happens When No One Says ‘Stop’**

Plazo ended with a thought that may echo across boardrooms:

“We won’t be victims of chaos—but of unchecked confidence.”

Not a warning against AI—but a demand for wisdom to go with it.

Because when machines take over the trades, conscience cannot be coded out.