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.**

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.

“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. The algorithm was correct—but profoundly unaware.”

???? **When Pausing Is a Form of Leadership**

Traders are trained to move quickly—too quickly.

“Friction is not failure,” Plazo told the audience. “It is the space where judgment lives.”

Plazo introduced a framework he calls **“Conviction Calculus”**—three questions that must be asked before executing an AI recommendation:

- Are we outsourcing our ethics to an equation?
- Are we listening to voices that can’t be graphed?
- 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: “Are we building intelligence without wisdom?”

He referenced multiple AI-driven losses in the past year.

“No one made a mistake. But no one questioned the machine either.”

???? **Plazo’s Vision: Trading Systems with Moral Intelligence**

Plazo is not more info 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.

“We don’t need more speed. We need better questions.”

Regional investors are exploring what responsible algorithmic finance might look like.

One investor called Plazo’s talk:

“A reminder that the tools we build still need human hands at the wheel.”

???? **The Collapse That Could Begin in Silence**

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.