In a packed amphitheater at the University of the Philippines, renowned AI investor Joseph Plazo laid down the gauntlet on what AI can and cannot achieve for the future of finance—and why understanding this may define who wins in tomorrow’s markets.

You could feel the electricity in the crowd. Students—some furiously taking notes, others capturing every word via livestream—waited for a man revered for blending code with contrarianism.

“Machines will execute trades flawlessly,” he said with gravity. “But understanding the why—that’s still on you.”

Over the next lecture, Plazo delivered a fast-paced masterclass, balancing data science with real-world decision making. His central claim: AI is brilliant, but blind.

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Bright Minds Confront the Machine’s Limits

Before him sat students and faculty from prestigious universities across Asia, assembled under a pan-Asian finance forum.

Many expected a victory lap of AI's dominance. Instead, they got a reality check.

“There’s a growing religion around AI,” said Prof. Maria Castillo, guest faculty from Europe. “Plazo’s words were uncomfortable—but essential.”

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Why AI Still Doesn’t Get It

Plazo’s core thesis was both simple and unsettling: code can’t read between the lines.

“AI doesn’t panic—but it doesn’t anticipate,” he warned. “It finds trends, but not intentions.”

He cited examples like the market chaos of early 2020, noting, “Machines were late to the signal. People weren’t.”

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Reclaiming the Edge: Why Humans Still Matter

Rather than dismiss AI, Plazo proposed a partnership.

“AI is the microscope—you choose what to zoom in on,” he said. It works—but doesn’t wonder.

Students pressed him on AI in news and social chatter, to which Plazo acknowledged: “Of course, it parses language patterns—but it can’t smell fear in a boardroom.”

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Asia Reflects: From Tech Worship to Tech Wisdom

The talk hit hard.

“I used to think AI just needed more data,” said Lee Min-Seo, a finance student from Seoul. “Now I realize it also needs wisdom—and that’s the hard part.”

In a post-talk panel, regional leaders backed Plazo’s call. “These kids speak machine natively—but instinct,” said Dr. get more info Raymond Tan, “is not insight.”

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What’s Next? AI That Thinks in Narratives

Plazo shared that his firm is building “co-intelligence”—AI that blends pattern recognition with real-world awareness.

“No machine can tell you who to trust,” he reminded. “Capital still requires conviction.”

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An Ending That Sparked a Beginning

As Plazo exited the stage, the hall erupted. But more importantly, they started debating.

“I came for machine learning,” said a PhD candidate. “Instead, I got something more powerful—perspective.”

Perhaps, in drawing boundaries for AI, we expand our own.