Human Intelligence Still Wins in Finance’s Final Frontier

As machines increasingly shape markets, a unfiltered voice in the Philippines’ capital reminds us what money still listens to—judgment, ethics, and gut.

“AI won’t make you rich. But it will amplify your errors at scale.”

That was Joseph Plazo’s blistering opener at his jam-packed keynote at the University of the Philippines’ amphitheater—and it drew audible gasps from the audience.

In front of him were Asia’s brightest young minds—rising economists, AI researchers, and budding asset managers from leading institutions across Asia.

Plazo—CEO of a firm at the intersection of AI and capital—delivered a dose of realism on what AI delivers—and fails to grasp in actual investing.

And what it still lacks, he stressed, is think like a human.

### Beyond the Hype: Investing in the Age of Overpromised Intelligence

Dressed in a razor-sharp outfit, Plazo paced the stage like a courtroom litigator.

He began the teardown with a short video montage—YouTubers hawking AI bots. Then he paused.

“I created the model they ripped off,” he said, deadpan.

Laughter broke out—but that wasn’t the punchline.

The message? Most models replay what already happened.

“You can’t outsource principles. AI doesn’t believe in a trade—it mirrors what already happened.”

“When war unexpectedly explodes, when Powell coughs during a Fed announcement, when a bank implodes overnight—AI doesn’t notice. We do.”

### The Students Who Challenged Him—and Got Schooled

The jaw-dropper? A live AI-vs-human trading duel.

A student from NUS presented an AI-backed trade on the Nikkei—technically solid, sentiment-scanned, and data-rich.

Plazo nodded thoughtfully. Then said:

“Good. But you missed the BOJ’s stealth bond buy this morning. Your AI doesn’t sense the bluff. It scans headlines.”

The audience shifted. The student shrugged. Then: applause.

Another moment: A robotics PhD from Kyoto asked if quantum computing would render all current models useless.

Plazo’s answer? “Yes—and no. Infinite processing won’t fix human incentives. Train an AI on fear, and it’ll become panic on steroids.”

### more info The Three Myths Plazo Shattered in 45 Minutes

1. **“AI Will Replace Portfolio Managers.”**
Not quite. AI assists—it crunches, optimizes, and speeds up decisions—but it doesn’t replace gut instinct.

2. **“AI Understands Fundamentals.”**
Wrong. AI reads tables, but can’t see through diplomatic posturing. It may model interest rates, but it can’t predict a Strait of Hormuz conflict.

3. **“AI Makes You Smarter.”**
Actually, it might make you duller. “The real risk isn’t AI itself,” Plazo warned. “It’s losing your grip on human reason.”

### Why Asia Paid Close Attention

This wasn’t your average AI hype fest.

Asia’s universities are now home to finance’s future titans. They’re asking: more code, or more conscience?

Plazo’s call: “Do both—but lead with the mind.”

In closed-door chats at Ateneo and a roundtable at AIM, professors wrestled with what they called a turning point speech.

One finance dean shared off-record, “This talk shifts the ethical foundation. Not magic—mirror.”

### The Future AI Can Build

Despite the warnings, Plazo isn’t a luddite.

He’s building multi-signal trading engines—that blend intuition cues with algorithmic structure.

His stance? “Let AI drive—but you steer. Don’t go on autopilot.”

“It’s not starving for stats. It’s missing context. And that still can’t be coded.”

The applause echoed across campuses. And that jolt of insight is still shaking up syllabi in Asia’s elite universities.

In a world drunk on AI hype, he delivered the one thing no model ever could—wisdom.