The Human Edge: AI, Trust, and the Future of Connection

Anthony Sar, Co-founder and CEO of Finoverse and the driving force behind Hong Kong Fintech Week, joins Theo on One Vision to share the story behind one of Asia's most iconic innovation gatherings. From a bar conversation about hitting 5,000 attendees (when they had 300) to welcoming 45,000 people from 120+ economies at their 10th anniversary, Anthony reflects on what it takes to build something that genuinely keeps people in the room.At the center of the conversation is Samantha, built in-house by Finoverse. She acts as your personal AI networking agent. She interviews you, learns what you're looking for, and makes introductions at scale. After a successful pilot at last year’s FinTech Week as well as the recent Genesis Festival, Samantha will return to Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 this November.  This year’s conference is aptly themed Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future. It is a rallying call to drive connectivity and collaboration across global and Chinese Mainland markets, at a time when the world feels more fragmented than ever.One World, One Planet. This episode invites us to come together to foster collaboration for a more inclusive financial services ecosystem for everyone. 🔥 Hot Take: "AI can't have coffee with you. It can't go for a hike. It can't watch a comedy with you." 🔥 Hot Take: “There's so much happening in mainland China and Asia that the rest of the world simply doesn't see." 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.Keywords: AI, Fintech, FinancialServices, Startups, Hong KongTimestamps00:00 Welcome and Introductions02:59 A decade of Finoverse and Hong Kong Fintech Week 07:39 Introducing Samantha: The AI Host10:13 The Future of Events and Networking19:07 How AI Makes Human Connection More Valuable, Not Less27:55 Hong Kong Fintech Week 2026: Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future33:01 Closing Thoughts: One World, One PlanetMore about our guest 🌐Anthony Sar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysar/ 🌐FinTech Week Hong Kong: https://www.fintechweek.hk/ More about our host and One Vision Podcast 🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision **One Vision Podcast is a fintech, banking, and AI podcast hosted by Theodora Lau (Founder, Unconventional Ventures; author of Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence). One Vision goes beyond the headlines on AI, agentic commerce, digital banking, financial inclusion, and the future of money — with founders, analysts, venture capitalists, technologists, and operators building the next chapter of financial services. New episodes weekly. Featured guests include leaders from Ant, bunq, J.D. Power, Forrester, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAS, SAP, and Wall Street Journal. Recognized in American Banker's Top 20 Most Influential Women in Fintech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.