While the world leans harder on algorithms, one voice dared to ask: what gets lost when we stop thinking for ourselves? At the University of the Philippines, in a hall steeped in tradition and ambition, Joseph Plazo took the stage not as an evangelist of machines, but as their translator.---### His First Sentence Wasn’t Loud, But It Shook the

While the world leans harder on algorithms, Joseph Plazo offered something rare: pause. Before rows of scholars flown in from across Asia—NUS, Kyoto, HKUST, AIM— Joseph Plazo spoke not to impress, but to interrupt.---### The Opening Line That Changed the Atmosphere No slides. No startup pitch. No swagger. “AI can beat the market. But only