A Wake-Up Call from Manila’s Leading AI Strategist

In an age of algorithmic promises, a bold voice in Manila issues a sharp reminder that judgment still beats the algorithm—conscience, context, and conviction.

“AI isn’t your golden ticket. But it will make your mistakes faster.”

That was Joseph Plazo’s unapologetic opener at his overflowing 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—portfolio hopefuls, quant researchers, and finance scholars 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 real-world investing.

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

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

Dressed in a bespoke ensemble, Plazo commanded the stage with surgical precision.

He opened fire with a short video montage—social media influencers promising 90% win rates. Then he paused.

“I built the system they copied,” he said, dryly.

Laughter followed—but this wasn’t ego.

The message? Most AI is built on hindsight.

“You can’t outsource guts. AI doesn’t carry skin in a trade—it reacts what already happened.”

“When war unexpectedly explodes, when Powell coughs during a Fed announcement, when a bank implodes overnight—AI stays blind. 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—equipped with indicators, trends, and sentiment metrics.

Plazo nodded thoughtfully. Then said:

“Looks clean, but what about Japan’s unannounced intervention?. Your AI doesn’t see the invisible. It reads tweets.”

The audience murmured. The student bowed slightly. 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. Quantum speed won’t fix human incentives. Train an AI on fear, and it’ll become a chaos machine.”

### The Three Myths Plazo Shattered in 45 Minutes

1. **“AI Will Replace Portfolio Managers.”**
False. AI augments—it backtests, filters, calculates—but it check here doesn’t see through fog-of-war events.

2. **“AI Understands Fundamentals.”**
Wrong. AI interprets numbers, but doesn’t grasp geopolitics. It may model interest rates, but it doesn’t hear whispers in Davos.

3. **“AI Makes You Smarter.”**
Actually, it might make you duller. “The danger isn’t in trusting AI,” 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 minting billion-dollar fund builders. 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 clarion call.

One finance dean shared off-record, “He just reset our compass. Not magic—mirror.”

### The Future AI Can Build

Despite the truth bombs, Plazo isn’t against innovation.

He’s building models that read psychology as well as numbers—fusing bias detection and central bank logic.

His stance? “Co-pilot AI. Don’t worship it.”

“AI doesn’t need more data. It needs discernment. And that still lives in humans.”

The crowd rose as one. And his message is still echoing in Asia’s finance incubators.

In a world drunk on AI hype, Plazo gave the crowd what AI can’t: humanity.