Inside a strategy forum hosted at AIM in Manila, Joseph Plazo—founder of AI investment firm Plazo Sullivan Roche—challenged the room to rethink what success means in a world run by machines.

His trading systems are used by institutional clients from Singapore to Zurich.

And yet, he stood in front of the next generation of business leaders to say:

“A bot can optimize a trade. Only a leader can own its consequences.”

???? **The Architect Who Questions the Architecture**

Plazo is not retreating from AI—he’s refining how it’s led.

“Speed does not imply wisdom. Nor does precision imply perspective.”

He recalled a moment in 2020: a bot under his direction flagged a short on gold—hours before the Federal Reserve’s emergency announcement.

“We reversed the trade. It lacked what we call ‘narrative context.’”

???? **Why Strategic Friction Still Matters**

Plazo introduced a concept he now teaches internally: **Strategic Friction**.

“The time to reflect is often what distinguishes a great firm from a good one.”

He then outlined **Conviction Calculus**, a leadership-level framework for decision validation in AI-assisted organizations:

- Are we compromising trust for short-term gain?
- Have human signals—history, intuition, market tone—been applied as counterbalance?
- Does our governance framework include accountability for algorithmic decisions?

???? **Are Leaders Moving as Fast as Their Machines?**

Plazo pointed to Asia’s surging fintech sector—with massive investments in algorithmic trading and automation infrastructure from Singapore, South Korea, and the Philippines.

But he cautioned:

“Speed has outpaced strategic alignment. That is dangerous.”

He referenced recent collapses of AI-driven hedge funds in Hong Kong in 2024, where systems failed to interpret macroeconomic risk.

“They didn’t fail because they were illogical. They failed because no one asked, get more info ‘Should we act?’”

???? **Plazo’s Vision: Narrative-Integrated AI**

Plazo is now advancing what he calls **“narrative-integrated AI”**—systems that integrate geopolitical signals, regulatory context, intent, and human tone into algorithmic output.

“The next leap isn’t faster data—it’s smarter context.”

Following his talk, venture firms from Tokyo and Jakarta began discussions on enterprise-level governance systems for algorithmic infrastructure.

One executive called the talk:

“The most practical leadership lens for automated systems I’ve heard in years.”

???? **What Happens When No One Says 'Wait'?**

Plazo closed with a sobering truth:

“Leadership is not measured by reaction—but by reflection.”

Because at scale, what’s missing isn’t capability—it’s conscience.