Spotting good and bad — lessons from childhood to AI

As a child, my family moved to Stanford, Palo Alto. I found myself in an unfamiliar environment, dealing with a new language, different customs, and unfamiliar faces. The playground was its own small universe filled with a cast of characters — some kind-hearted and others less so. I’ll never forget one particular classmate who seemed to take delight in teasing others. In contrast, another classmate who became a friend of mine always stepped in to lend a hand. Watching these interactions taught me a valuable lesson about character — who uplifts others and who tries to undermine them, guiding me through many aspects of life.

Adapting to this new environment meant I had to quickly learn to distinguish who I could trust — figuring out the ‘good guys’ from the ‘bad guys’ was essential. This childhood skill of discerning character became a compass, and it helped me build connections, whether it was welcoming schoolmates, finding trustworthy neighbors or, as I grew up, adapting to ever-changing situations, and forming relationships with colleagues and business partners. The ability to gauge character was a lifeline in a sea of uncertainty, much like the unpredictable world we live in today.

Fast forward to my role at ThetaRay, and we have now applied those playground lessons in a new arena. Just as I used my intuition to spot trustworthy friends, professionals in financial compliance must rely on their experience to detect risks and opportunities. But how do compliance professionals handle the massive volume of data points?

Today, AI is transforming the way financial institutions are combating financial crime. Much like recognizing good and bad characters, AI identifies suspicious criminal activity (the bad guys), and can also identify new growth drivers and opportunities (the good guys).

As financial transactions evolve and criminals find new methods to launder money or finance terror, we need to find innovative methods to keep up with the criminals. Today, AI steps in to support this task at an unprecedented scale, analyzing vast amounts of data to uncover potentially illicit behavior and activities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Israel’s prominence in AI and fintech has positioned it to lead in integrating AI into AML processes. As a global tech hub, Israel combines innovation and expertise to address critical challenges in financial crime. With a wealth of brilliant scientists and entrepreneurs in such a small country, we are pioneering technologies to enhance AML practices on the global stage.

Reflecting on my journey, it’s clear that intuition remains essential — both in our personal lives and in the tech-driven world. The ability to discern character leads to better choices, healthier relationships and smarter business decisions. Harnessing intuition together with AI allows us to isolate the bad and for the good to flourish.