“Joseph Plazo on the Dangers of Algorithmic Obedience: Who Controls the Machine?”

In a gathering of AI developers, analysts, and traders, 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?”

???? **Joseph Plazo: A Technologist Sounding the Alarm**

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.

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

“Optimisation is only part of the equation,” Plazo explained. “Direction, purpose—those remain human.”

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.”

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

Traders are trained to move quickly—too quickly.

“In high-volatility moments, the pause is where leadership happens.”

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 anyone say, ‘This was my call,’ or just point at the machine?

???? **Asia’s Race Toward AI Could Be Missing Its Compass**

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 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 necessary reckoning for financial technology.”

???? **The Final Warning: Crashes Don’t Always Start Loudly**

Plazo ended with a thought that may echo across boardrooms:

“The next crash won’t come from fear,” he said. “It’ll come from logic—executed too quickly, by systems no one dared to question.”

No dramatic flourish. Just clarity.

Because when machines take over the trades, Joseph Rinoza Plazo someone must still own the consequences.