Can AI Save the Work-Life Balance? Barry Ritholtz Thinks So

Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research at ETF.com, sat down in the ETF Beach House at Future Proof Citywide with Barry Ritholtz, Chairman and CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. Ritholtz offers a candid look into how he uses artificial intelligence in his professional life, and the benefits it provides to his personal one. 

4 Reasons You Don’t Want to Miss This Conversation

• Reclaiming Time: The most surprising benefit of AI isn’t the flashy tech, according to Ritholtz, but its ability to give back four to five hours of busywork time each week. This recovery of nearly an hour a day is seen as the ultimate advantage in a world where time is our only real fixed resource. For those building a firm, AI acts as a vital tool to help manage the overwhelming demands of a busy schedule. This efficiency via technology creates a pathway to maintain a successful business without having to sacrifice family and personal life.
• Focusing on Substance: While AI-generated memes and videos can be amusing, they’re a flash-in-the-pan in regards to our attention and memory. The real value in engaging with AI lies in offloading the mindless, wasteful tasks to technology so that we as humans can focus on more meaningful work.
• Bringing Experience to Bear: One way that Ritholtz has found to use AI in his business life with measurable improvements is by having it run an initial pass of legal research when needed. However, the only reason this type of use is successful for Ritholtz is because of his experience as a lawyer, making it easy to spot when the AI response goes off the rails, underscoring the need for knowledge and expertise in whatever topic you engage with AI on. 
• The Techno-Optimist View: Despite the potential downsides of modern advancements, Ritholtz sits firmly entrenched in the techno-optimist camp. He believes that, historically, technology has consistently improved quality of life and that AI will be no exception to that trend.