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AI, the investment world’s Taylor Swift, steals the show at Hong Kong summit

Money mongers at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit forecast AI would bring massive but uneven benefits for investors

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Hong Kong’s flagship three-day Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit ended on Wednesday. The summit will return next year from November 2 to 4. Photo: Edmond So

Artificial intelligence is becoming the Taylor Swift of the investment world – a force expected to deliver benefits to industries and consumers while rewarding investors, though money managers cautioned that not all companies will reap rewards.

AI dominated discussions at Hong Kong’s flagship three-day Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, which will return for its fifth edition next year from November 2 to 4.

During the final day’s programme on Wednesday, a panel-discussion moderator drew a playful analogy, asking whether AI was overhyped or the US pop star. The four asset managers on stage offered a unanimous, lighthearted answer, saying it was the latter.

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The pop star’s economic impact, known as “Swiftonomics”, generated billions of dollars for local economies through tourism, hospitality and retail spending wherever her concerts played.

(From left) Eric Yip, executive director of Securities and Futures Commission; Jean Hynes, CEO of Wellington Management; Andrew Schlossberg, president and CEO of Invesco; Eric Stein, chief investment officer of Voya Investment Management and Hendrik du Toit, founder and CEO of Ninety One at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit on Wednesday. Photo: Edmond So
(From left) Eric Yip, executive director of Securities and Futures Commission; Jean Hynes, CEO of Wellington Management; Andrew Schlossberg, president and CEO of Invesco; Eric Stein, chief investment officer of Voya Investment Management and Hendrik du Toit, founder and CEO of Ninety One at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit on Wednesday. Photo: Edmond So

The impact of AI was “absolutely not overhyped”, said Hendrik du Toit, founder and CEO of Ninety One. “This is a change which is going to be massive and has only started.”

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