Tech-Savvy Founder Builds AI-Free System for 500 Employees
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Assaf Banai, founder of the Profit Group, has developed an information system for his 500 employees based on emotional intelligence, not AI. He believes human emotion is crucial in financial planning, a field where he has met over 20,000 people. Banai argues that AI is a tool, not a threat, and that human emotional responses during market volatility are unavoidable, despite technological advancements.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Assaf Banai built an information system for his 500 employees without being a programmer.
- The system developed by Banai is based on emotional intelligence, not artificial intelligence.
- Banai believes human emotions are key to financial planning, having met over 20,000 people.
- He stated that AI is a tool that will help, not threaten, financial professionals.
- Banai warned that human fear during market downturns remains a factor, regardless of AI.
Assaf Banai, founder of the financial group Profit, which specializes in wealth management, shared his unique approach to technology at the Israel Economic Conference 2026. Despite the widespread discussion of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Banai highlighted his journey as someone without a computer programming background. He revealed that his entire company, employing 500 individuals, now operates on an information system he personally developed, which he described as based on "emotional intelligence" rather than artificial intelligence.
Banai explained that his extensive experience, having personally met over 20,000 people in financial planning, has shown him that conversations about money are deeply intertwined with emotions like fear, control, love, and security. He believes that no database can capture this nuanced human knowledge. While acknowledging AI's utility, he stressed that the crucial element of emotional intelligence (EI) comes from human understanding.
He drew an analogy between the standard deviation of an investment portfolio and that of the human psyche, stating that his profession's role is to bridge the gap between the two. Banai asserted that AI is not a threat but a tool that will assist professionals. He countered the notion held by some tech professionals that AI alone can manage investment portfolios, citing Warren Buffett's model. Banai warned that even with AI, human emotional responses during sharp market downturns, driven by fears of job loss or company closure, remain a significant factor, emphasizing that market cycles, despite claims to the contrary, always repeat.
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