On April 17 we explored the intersection of human expertise, technology, and the future of the investment professional.
This event provided a brief moment to reflect, and learn, about how technology and AI is likely to change problem solving within institutional investment, and even whether it will help to prioritise the problems we should be working on.
We did so in three key areas:
For the foreseeable future, human insight will remain invaluable. Machines tend to be transactional whereas professionals engender trust and create long-term value. We will discuss the considerable value in T-shapedness (connecting different domains), in the building and transmission of culture, and in a strengthening of professionalism.
2. The machine
It is inevitable that technology will continue to develop quickly, and be absorbed into the investment process. Investment has upgraded the power of its machines and the sophistication of its algorithms year after year for decades. To date, we have instructed the machines – where to look, and what to look for. We’ll explore how machines are increasingly autonomous in decision-making, potentially rewriting their own algorithms.
3. The cyborg
Rather than attempt to design the perfect machine-enhanced human, we take a different perspective and ask “what would such a cyborg do?”. We’ll ponder how a fully integrated cyborg might perceive and interact with our current investment system, addressing pressing issues like net-zero investing and systemic risk.
2024 research agenda
2024 event agenda
Podcast: The human, the machine and the cyborg
Research paper: Better decision-making: a toolkit.
Research paper: How to choose? This paper looks at decision-making in modern investment organisations.
Research paper: Culture – the organisational superpower.
Research paper: The Power of Teams