Truth is not optional

When you can no longer believe in the video that you see nor the news that you hear, what does that do to 'trust' — the very foundation for our society? Is a fractured society with different versions of reality, dependent on which ecosystem you find yourself in, the future that we want?

AI-generated content has been flooding our social channels in unprecedented scale. Some might lead you to believe that this is inevitable. Some others may even go as far as proclaiming that truth is no longer the most important currency in this attention-grabbing economy — powerful platforms where engagements are valued regardless of what form they take, with content increasingly built on click baits and provocative commentaries, flooded with likes and mindless retweets, and driven by mindless algorithms regardless of whether or not they are true.

In the age of information overload, the challenge goes beyond, as we are constantly bombarded with an over-abundance of data, and opinions presented as facts. Being able to find reliable and trustworthy sources and discerning them from the noise is becoming more difficult than ever. And instead of exercising critical thinking, the unique trait that makes us humans, we are increasingly delegating the 'thinking' to machines.

We stand at a crossroad. And as I wrote in my book, Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence, we all have a role to play in creating the future world that we want. We can passively accept a world where truth is negotiable, or we can actively choose to be guardians of authentic information.

As our world is increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, perhaps the most human thing we can do is insistence on authentic intelligence, where we seek the truth not because it's convenient, but because it's necessary.

I hope we can choose wisely.

While the data is 1’s and 0’s, the Realities of AI is very much human. And it is up to all of us to decide what the future holds.

**

What I am reading ...

[1] Would you enroll your children in an "AI-driven school"?

In a world where AI pixie dust is sprinkled everywhere, it is inevitable that for-profit institutions will eventually find their way to education in the name of AI. But 'just because we can, does that mean we should?'

If children are our future, why would we want to delegate the most important task — that of teaching — to silicon? If human values, empathy, and collaboration, are our competitive advantage in the rise of machine age, shouldn't we be spending more time with the next generation, not less?

Learning is more than getting the right answers to questions. It’s about learning how to search for and the joy of discovering new knowledge; it is the journey of synthesizing and drawing your own conclusions.

When young people become increasingly reliant on tools such as ChatGPT, which gives you instant answers, how will this impact critical thinking?

Take the case from rural Columbia, as reported by Rest of World , where students have become so dependent on using the AI tools that they simply look up the answers and copy them instead of thinking through the problem sets or analyzing what they are copying.

"Students say the shortcut is too tempting and easy to take. It helps them avoid the monotony of unexciting lessons," but "a growing body of research suggests the misuse or overuse of AI can harm children."

[2] Your voice is your password ... until it isn't.

As deepfake video and audio become more convincing, can we still rely on biometrics authentication?

In the American Banker article by Suman Bhattacharyya , Tiffani Montez commented that "Banks must move beyond one-off fingerprint or facial scans to embrace continuous, multimodal authentication, monitoring behavioral signals like typing cadence and voice and stepping up verification in real time."

Much like what I was taught by a CISO years ago, we need to treat cybersecurity like an onion — by making sure that you have layers of protection. And just like everything else, it's a never-ending process. You need to keep learning, monitoring, and fine-tuning. The e-book from SAS provide some good pointers on strategies for using advanced analytics, AI and faster decision-making to enhance fraud detection and combat fraud.

**

From the community ...

🚨 Founders, don’t miss your chance to to join a mission-driven accelerator scaling accessible fintech at the Center for Accelerating Financial Equity (CAFE) , scaling U.S.-based companies and fintechs whose products advance the financial wellness for LMI people. The accelerator is more than just a program, it’s a launchpad for fintech startups looking to scale, connect with industry leaders, and refine their solutions for real impact. Applications are open for the Fall 2025 Fintech cohort.

✨ Apply now to get access to expert mentorship, strategic connections, and a powerful network of investors and financial institutions.

📅 Deadline to apply: August 15th ➡️ www.ftcafe.org/apply

**

In this week's One Vision Podcast ...

In this new episode of One Vision, we chat with Simon Kemp, Founder of Kepios , also known for his comprehensive reports on the digital world via DataReportal.

Simon shares the evolution of his work over 15 years, highlighting key insights into digital adoption trends across different countries and demographics. From the rise of mobile internet in Japan to the significant shifts in YouTube's user demographics, the conversation delves into how cultural nuances influence digital behaviors. We also talk about the future potential and challenges of AI technologies, and the importance of enabling innovation that is actually useful for people’s everyday lives. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of culture, technology innovation, and the digital ecosystem.

📍”Culture is the most important driver of technical behavior … The human comes before the digital.”

_____

As always, thank you for reading. If you enjoy my posts ...

🔔 Ring it on my profile so you don't miss the next one.

⏺ Subscribe to this LinkedIn newsletter "The FinTech Prose" and share it with your network.

💜 Hit like and comment to let me know your thoughts.

✍ Drop me a review on my books: Beyond Good (2021), The Metaverse Economy (2023), and Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (2025) on Amazon.

🛒 You can now order my third and latest book "Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence" where books are sold, including Waterstones, Amazon, and Springer Nature.

____