Reactive to Proactive: The Next AI Shift

This recent piece on proactive, steerable AI reframes our understanding of intelligence systems. Instead of waiting for human prompts, these systems anticipate context, surface insights, and suggest next steps. It's not just "chatbots with memory." It's a shift toward AI that behaves like a partner, not a tool.

Finance and investing are primed for this leap. Consider the screenshot below from our platform Basis: the platform automatically digests internal perspectives on Apple's earnings, summarizes the key drivers, and immediately frames them as decision-relevant suggestions ("How Apple offsets hardware stagnation with services and AI"). That's proactive AI in action, moving from summarizing what happened to nudging where to focus next.

In investment workflows, this matters. Analysts drown in filings, calls, and models, but the bottleneck isn't access to data. It's steering attention toward the right risks, narratives, and opportunities. Proactive agents embedded in platforms like Basis can connect the dots:

• Flagging regulatory risks when a firm's exposure spikes. The system monitors position data against evolving regulatory frameworks, alerting teams before compliance issues escalate.

• Generating a "five-minute pitch" when a portfolio manager needs a quick angle before a meeting. Context-aware summaries that distill complex theses into actionable talking points.

• Stress-testing a thesis against emerging macro data before it becomes consensus. Real-time scenario analysis that challenges assumptions as conditions shift.

This is the next frontier: AI that not only answers questions but also drives the conversation forward. For buy-side firms, the value isn't in a faster chatbot. It's in an AI partner that helps teams see around corners. The shift from reactive to proactive intelligence represents a fundamental change in how investment professionals allocate their most scarce resource: attention itself.

~Ryan Erickson, Founding Executive

TLDR: What you need to know about AI in Finance

AI could affect half of jobs in developed markets, says IMF: The IMF warns AI could transform labor markets and notes models are already passing the CFA Level 3 exam with ease.

Emerging market debt database turns to AI to fine-tune risk: A global debt database backed by development banks is integrating AI to sharpen risk assessment and attract private capital.

BofA unveils AI-driven capital markets insights on CashPro app: Bank of America’s CashPro now includes “TED,” an AI tool that quantifies macro conditions to guide issuance timing.

BASIS AGENT OF THE WEEK: Listening for Topics

🤖 The “Listen For Topics of Interest” agent monitors internal data and events. When key themes like “China regulation” or “AI costs” appear, it alerts the team immediately. Instead of searching after the fact, analysts get real-time signals on what matters most.

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