Press Release
Grain Yield Increase and Disaster Reduction by “Fen long” Technology Invented in China Contributing to Improve the Better Future of Human Being
Editor’s Note:
In recent years, natural disasters such as drought and waterlogging occur frequently. Climate warming has triggered various disasters that affect existence, which has brought unprecedented challenges to grain production, ecological environment and world peace maintenance. “Fen long” technology, the new method of farming invented by Wei Benhui, the Chinese inventor, can help to solve these problems in the world to a certain extent and make the human future better by multiple using “5 kinds of resources”, soil and its cubic natural rainfall, oxygen, temperature, humidity and solar energy.

In August 2021, the yield of highland barley in the saline-alkali soil, which was transformed by “smash-ridging” technology in Zangzhong Village, Zhaqi Town, Zhanang County, Shannan City, Tibet, China, the roof of the world, increased by 38.67%. The highland barley yield of smash ridging sand soil farmland in Kemai Community, Changzhu Township, Naidong District, increased by 1121.73 kg, with 25.43% of increase range, and the straw yield also increased by more than 20%. Peng Xinhua, the researcher of Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences has implemented smash-ridging sweet potato experiment in Jiangxi Province, and the result was that the yield increased by 89% to 117%. The maximum production increase of wheat of heavy coast saline-alkali soil in Dongying City, Shandong Province was 154.22% after being transformed by “smash-ridging” technology. The production increase of cotton of heavy saline-alkali soil in Yuli County, Xinjiang Autonomous Region was yet 81.17% in the fourth year after being transformed by “smash-ridging” technology. Over the past decade, “smash-ridging” technology was applied to nearly 50 kinds of crops such as rice, corn and wheat in 28 provinces such as Guangxi and Xinjiang, and no more rich water, pesticide or other production costs was required while the production increase was generally 10% to 50%, the quality was improved by 5% and the increase production in saline-alkali soil was 20% to 100% after transformation. Experts estimated that, the natural disaster such as waterlogging, drought, high temperature and low temperature may be reduced by more than 20%, and soil environment improvement,and crop biomass increase will reduce carbon by more than 10% and increase ground air humidity by 10%.

Invented by Wei Benhui from Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, “smash-ridging” technology is a major new method of farming, which can realize a new round of production increase, quality improvement, water conservation, disaster reduction, carbon reduction and sustainable development of agriculture and contribute to widen the space of human existence and development.
In March 2021, “smash-ridging” technology was shown on the world’s No. 1 screen in Times Square, which stated that the smash ridging agricultural machinery and smash ridging farming that would not mess the soil layers for ultra deep ploughing had broken through worldwide problems such as “physical” production increase of agriculture and physical transformation of saline-alkali soil. “Smash-ridging” technology which has shocked the world is common technology, common welfare and common wealth of all mankind.
The advert of “smash-ridging” technology marks that the world has ushered in a very rare new agricultural revolution. The technology is simple, widely applied and sustainable for hundreds of years. It has realized increase of grain production and decrease of disaster to benefit human being.

1. Creating subversive fifth farming mode, which is worldwide used
“Smash-ridging” technology is named after vertical burying, high-speed rotary-cut smash soil, ridge and suspend by using spiral, hollow and other “drill” farming tools invented by Wei Benhui, instead of the “plow” which has been used for 5,500 years. “Smash-ridging” technology has become the fifth efficient farming mode after slash-and-burn cultivation, man power, animal power and tractor ploughing in the history of human farming. “Smash-ridging” technology structured “smash-ridging agriculture” technology system that matches smash-ridging agricultural machinery, smash-ridging farming and smash-ridging cultivation and overturned traditional farming way and agricultural production technical philosophy by using the scientific concept of “ultra deep ploughing and deep loosening the soil without messing the soil layers”. The worldwide universal technology expands the space for human existence and development, and its scientific connotation and characteristics are as below:
First of all, fully excavate natural resource utilization that the earth feeds human being. With 5 kinds of natural resources, soil, the grain producer which the mankind survives on, natural rainfall, oxygen, temperature and humidity and solar energy, once more multiple positive utilization can be realized on the basis of existent farming and agricultural utilization to promote a new round of agricultural production increase, quality improvement, water conservation, disaster reduction, carbon drop and sustainable development.
Secondly, trigger deepening utilization of the surface soil of earth with a light force. Loosened soil increases several times over., and most of soil is granular, and granular structure surface is smooth. Unit weight decreases by 10% to 20%, and available nutrient increases by 10% to 30%. Basic fertility improves by 10% to 30%, and applying quantity of chemical fertilizer for planting crop can reduce by more than 10%.
Thirdly, create cultivated land reservoir with loosened soil and expanded volume. Natural rainfall reserves approximately double, which provides conditions for human being to utilize rainwater and snow water again. Soil porosity enlarges approximately and oxygen increase approximately by one time. Soil microbial community and quantity increase by almost multiple times.

Fourthly, create soil ecological environment that is suitable for crop growth. Smash ridging cultivation requires soil ecological environment with balanced water, fertilizer, gas and heat. The crop takes roots in the earlier stage, strengthens in the medium stage and becomes powerful in the later stage. It features production increase and quality improvement with resistant to drought, high and low temperature. The root system is particularly developed with fibrous root increasing and activity strengthening. The photosynthetic efficiency improves by 10% to 30%, and the stress resistance such as drought and high and low temperature improves by approximately 20%, while biomass increases by 20% to 30%.
Fifthly, create suitable environment for crops based on ecological conditions in which high agricultural yield is still available and consumption of agricultural “chemicals” is achievable even the consumption of fertilizer and pesticide can be reduced by more than 10% and some plastic mulch can be reduced. Some of polluted soil can be “purified itself”. For example, reduction of heavy metal pollution (reduction of cadmium content of rice) is a physical effect that other chemical means can hardly match.

Sixthly, realize no ecological area or crop variety limit. Almost all crops and some traditional Chinese medicinal materials in rice field, dry land and even saline-alkali soil can be applied to from Hainan Province at low latitude (18°N) to Xinjiang and Heilongjiang at high latitude (45° to 50°N), from Beihai of Guangxi at low altitude (10 to 15 metres) to Shigatse of Tibet at high altitude (over 4,000 metres), which indicates that there is no obvious limit on ecological area or crop variety, and it can be generally used in the world.
2. Application in China’s cultivated land and saline-alkali soil in 2021, with outstanding results
Test on smash ridging has been implemented in many places of China, and the result showed that comparing with traditional cultivation, the yield of rice increased by 15.5%, that of corn increased by 12.26%, and that of peanut increased by 8.05% with no fertilization.
“Smash ridging” technology has been applied to 50 kinds of crops such as rice, corn, wheat and potato in 28 provinces all over China for more than a decade, and production increase achieved 10% to 50%, and production increase in saline-alkali soil after being transformed achieved 20% to 100% with no increasing fertilization or irrigation volume. There are many cases of production increase in various places. In Yuanjiang City of Hunan Province, yield of smash ridging rice increased by 26.5% in that year, and it still increased by 12% in the fourth year after the first smash ridging cultivation. The yield of smash ridging wheat in Fuping, Shaanxi Province increased by 29.9%, and that of the second crop of corn increased by 34.89%. The average production increase of rained farming sugarcane was 32.5%.
In 2021, the cases of production increase with “smash-ridging” technology occurred frequently, and the results are outstanding.
Firstly, rice production continuously increases with “smash-ridging” technology. Yaoguao Town, Longhui County, Hunan Province used to be the breakthrough point where Academician Yuan Longping’s hybrid rice yields reached 900 kg per mu. In April 2014, “smash-ridging” cultivation was implemented, and the yield of hybrid rice increased by 25% in that year. It has been the 8th year since “smash ridging” technology was implemented, but the yield of hybrid rice is expected to increase by 10% or so. The yield of second crop of rice after rice smash ridging was implemented in Yongan Village, Shifu Town, Nanning City, Guangxi Autonomous Region increased by 9.5%.

Secondly, smash ridging water conservation and continuous high yield lasted for many years. In 2021, the third year after “smash-ridging” technology was implemented in Yanshan, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, the yield of wheat with water conservation increased by 18% with irrigation reduction by nearly 2,000 cubic metres per hectare. In 2021, the sixth year after “smash-ridging” technology was implemented in Fanjiazhai Village, Guyang Town, Lankao County, Henan Province, the yield of wheat increased by 10.3%.
Thirdly, “smash-ridging” agriculture and saline alkali soil transformation in highland region. As previous statement, the yield of highland barley of saline alkali soil in Tibet, the roof of the world, increased by 38.67%, that of highland barley of sand soil cultivated land with “smash-ridging” technology increased by 25.43%, that of highland barley straw increased by more than 20%, which can effectively solve the problem of lack of grain and feed in Tibet.
Fourthly, the history of high yield of sugarcane in a large area with “smash-ridging” technology was made. “Smash-ridging” technology “145” demonstration base for planting sugarcane was built in Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences. On March 6, 2021, upon experts’ acceptance, it increased by 38.3% than conventional cultivation. “Smash-ridging” technology “145” demonstration in Binyang of Guangxi, is expected to make history of green ecological high yield of sugarcane in a large area with entire mechanization to bring a sample for China’s and the world’s sugarcane planting technology.
3. Increasing grain yield and decreasing disaster by conforming to the nature, and all the mankind getting a better future
The best living quality and survival and development environment with abundant and tasteful food, fresh air and visible blue sky and cloud are mankind’s good wishes.
The earth is endowed with 5 kinds of inexhaustible natural resources, soil and its stereoscopic spatial natural rainfall, oxygen, temperature and humidity and solar energy. Soil is the “producer” of grain and other agricultural products the human being survives on and the “regulator” of natural environment to relieve drought, waterlogging and other natural disasters. In order to realize the above dreams, human being has to profoundly comprehend and properly utilize the “5 kinds of natural resources”, which is the fundamental obedience to the rules of resource utilization for mankind’s survival. For a country, the more proper utilization rate of “the 5 kinds of natural resources” of the stereoscopic space, the more secure grain and ecology in the country, the more fortunate of national life, which is also in this way for all the world and all the mankind.

The core of “smash-ridging” technology is to multiply sound utilization of the above “5 kinds of natural resources”. Its pioneering scientific contribution is based on the principle of “ultra deep cultivation and deep loosening (by utilizing the soil resources of plough sole which human being has not utilized yet), loosening soil at original site, granular soil, once off completion of soil preparation., and no tillage or light tillage for conservation tillage for years”. Meanwhile, “smash-ridging” technology is almost applied to various land resources including cultivated land and saline alkali soil so that agricultural available resources have expanded substantially. Furthermore, yield increase can be maintained with properly reducing fertilization. Additionally, it is easy to popularize and apply, and it is merely to replace tractor “plough” cultivation with smash ridging “drill”. Rice field is 25 cm deep, and dry land is 35 cm deep, and saline alkali soil is 40 cm deep. Expected effect is achievable with no excessive input or technical instruction required.
Wei Benhui said that invention of spiral and hollow “drill” tillage implements would certainly bring a major change of tillage implements and modernization of series products of smash ridging agricultural machinery equipment. The world will usher in great new times of “smash-ridging agriculture”.

According to expert’s estimates, if 1 billion mu of farmland and 300 million saline alkali land are cultivated in China, 130 billion kg of grain can be increased every year and 300 to 400 million more people can be fed. If land “smash-ridging” technology is implemented in 50% of farmland in the world, yield of grain can be increased and more people can be fed.
With “smash-ridging” technology, 40 to 50 cubic metres of natural rainfall reserve can be increased for cultivated land per mu, and drought, waterlogging and other disasters can be reduced. Recently, heavy waterlogging occurred in Henan Province. Because light tillage is carried out in most of cultivate land (most of loosened soil of plough layer is 12 to 15 cm), the soil of button layer is compacted and moves upward due to rolling by tractor wheels for years. Adding the road extension and ground hardening in the villages, there is no more place for water reservation. If “smash ridging” technology is implemented in half of cultivated land, such affect of rainstorm can be reduced greatly. Also, with improving smash ridging soil environment and significant increasing crop biomass, the goals including carbon reduction, peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutralization can be achieved early, and global warming can be relived greatly.
“Smash-ridging agriculture” and its entire production technology system invented and created by Wei Benhui have surpassed the existent agricultural production mode and have been affirmed and supported by Yuan Longping and other more than 10 Chinese academicians. The technology system has been practiced to almost all crop varieties from low latitude to high latitude and from low altitude to high altitude. It can be popularized globally and is expected to be a new mainstream technology in the world to lead the trend of agricultural cultivation development. The future will be better for all mankind. (Written by Heng Yi)
[Character Introduction]
Wei Benhui, the inventor of “smash-ridging” technology, Chinese cultivation expert, secondary researcher of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has acquired 21 achievements in sugarcane, Chinese yam, potato, cassava and “smash-ridging” technology, 18 national, provincial and ministerial awards, 15 invention patents. He has bred 26 new varieties of Chinese yam. Additionally, he has published 10 works such as China’s Ecology for Grain Increase with Smash Ridging Alive Soil and Chinese Yam Cultivation as well as more than 170 papers. He has won the titles of National Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker of China, Special Allowance Expert of the State Council, Guangxi Excellent Expert, Guangxi Outstanding Contribution Expert, Guangxi Most Beautiful Scientific and Technological worker, etc.
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Why Full-Mouth Rehabilitation Requires More Than Replacing Missing Teeth
-
Dr. Irfan Atcha says complex dental rehabilitation depends on careful planning, function, healing, and long-term stability.
Illinois, USA, Aug 30, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Replacing missing teeth is only one part of full-mouth rehabilitation, according to Chicago implant dentist Dr. Irfan Atcha.

For patients with several missing, failing, or damaged teeth, the greater challenge is understanding how the entire mouth functions as a single system. That means looking beyond individual teeth and considering factors such as bite, bone support, healing, comfort, and long-term stability.
Atcha has spent nearly three decades working with patients who need complex dental rehabilitation. Since beginning his career in Chicago in 1996, his work has increasingly focused on dental implants, full-arch treatment, implant-supported dentures, and cases that require more detailed planning.
“When you are dealing with a complex case, replacing the missing teeth is only part of the picture,” Atcha said. “You have to think about how everything works together and what the patient will need over the long term.”
Full-Mouth Rehabilitation Starts With the Bigger Picture
A patient may first seek treatment for an obvious concern, such as missing teeth or difficulty chewing. But in more advanced cases, the underlying issues may involve several areas at once.
That is why Atcha believes full-mouth rehabilitation should begin with a broader evaluation.
“You cannot always treat one problem in isolation,” he said. “The bite, the bone, the remaining teeth, and the way the mouth functions all influence the final plan.”
That approach has become a central part of his work in implant dentistry.
His areas of focus include same-day dental implants, implant-supported dentures, All-on-4 dental implants, and full-arch rehabilitation. These treatments can involve several clinical decisions that need to work together rather than being addressed separately.
Why Planning Matters Before Treatment Begins
For Atcha, one of the most important parts of complex dental care happens before treatment starts.
A full rehabilitation plan may need to account for the condition of existing teeth, the amount of available bone, the patient’s bite, and how the final restoration is expected to function.
“Good planning means thinking several steps ahead,” Atcha said. “You are not only asking what can be done today. You are asking how that decision may affect the overall result later.”
That long-term mindset has shaped his approach throughout his career.
Atcha often points to “long-term success with dental implants” as one of the key themes in his work. In his view, a treatment should not be judged only by what happens on the day of the procedure.
The larger question is how well the rehabilitation continues to function over time.
Complex Cases Require More Than One Solution
Full-mouth rehabilitation is not a single treatment. Different patients may have very different needs, even when their dental problems appear similar at first.
One person may need several teeth replaced. Another may require a full-arch solution. Others may need a combination of treatments to rebuild function across the mouth.
That is why Atcha sees experience and clinical judgement as important parts of the process.
“Two patients can come in with what looks like the same problem and still need very different treatment plans,” he said. “You have to understand the individual case rather than trying to force every patient into the same approach.”
That principle has guided much of his work with complex implant patients in the Chicago area.
Nearly 30 Years of Changing Treatment Options
Atcha began practising in 1996 after earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry.
He had previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois in 1991, and his early interest in research continued during dental school, where he received first-place recognition for a biochemistry table clinic presentation.
Over the decades since, implant dentistry has continued to evolve. Advances in imaging, treatment planning, materials, and clinical techniques have created more options for patients with advanced dental needs.
Atcha has continued his education alongside those changes, earning Fellowship and Diplomate recognition through both the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the International Dental Implant Association.
He says new technology can improve treatment planning, but it does not remove the need for careful evaluation.
“Technology gives us more information, but the information still has to be interpreted,” he said. “The goal is to use those tools as part of a complete plan.”
Looking Beyond Missing Teeth
For patients considering full-mouth rehabilitation, Atcha believes the most important conversation is often about the larger goal. Replacing missing teeth may be the most visible part of treatment, but restoring function requires looking at how the whole system works together.
That means considering not only what is missing, but also what remains, how the patient bites, how healing may occur, and how the final result is expected to perform over time.
For Atcha, that broader perspective is what separates simple tooth replacement from full-mouth rehabilitation.
“The goal is not just to fill a space,” he said. “The goal is to create a treatment plan that makes sense for the whole mouth and for the patient’s long-term needs.”
For more information about Dr. Irfan Atcha and New Teeth Chicago, visit newteethchicago.com.
About Dr. Irfan Atcha
Dr. Irfan Atcha is a Chicago-based implant dentist who has been practising since 1996. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. His work focuses on dental implants, full-arch rehabilitation, same-day dental implants, implant-supported dentures, and complex treatment planning.
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Clayton Fields Identifies Questions to Ask Before Replacing Proven Technology
-
Woodstock, Georgia technology and go-to-market professional Clayton Fields explains why evaluating a new system should include the cost and complexity of leaving the old one behind.
WOODSTOCK, Ga. Aug 30, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Businesses have more technology choices than ever, but Clayton Fields believes the availability of a newer system does not automatically make replacing an existing one the right decision.

Fields, a Woodstock, Georgia-based go-to-market professional with decades of experience in enterprise technology, security software, services, startups, and AI-enabled solutions, has spent much of his career working around organizations evaluating new technology. He says those decisions can become too focused on the capabilities of the new product while overlooking an equally important question: What will it actually take to replace what is already working?
“When companies evaluate new technology, the conversation naturally starts with what the new product can do,” Fields said. “I think you also have to understand everything that has been built around the system you already have. Replacing technology is rarely just replacing technology.”
What Problem Is the Business Actually Trying to Solve?
Fields recommends beginning any replacement decision by clearly identifying the problem.
A company may have an older system, but age alone does not necessarily make that system ineffective. The more important question is whether it is preventing the organization from accomplishing something important.
Employees may be spending too much time on manual processes. Customers may be experiencing unnecessary delays. Security requirements may have changed. An existing system may no longer integrate effectively with other tools.
Those are specific problems that can be evaluated.
“If the main argument for replacing something is that a newer option exists, I would want to understand more,” Fields said. “What becomes meaningfully better after the change? That answer should be clear before the organization takes on everything involved in making the switch.”
What Will Migration Really Require?
Moving from one system to another can involve considerably more than purchasing new software.
Organizations may need to migrate years of information, rebuild integrations, test workflows, update internal processes, and determine how the new system will interact with other technology.
Fields says these requirements should be considered during the buying process rather than after a contract is signed.
A new platform can offer significant advantages and still create a difficult transition. Understanding that transition helps businesses compare the potential benefits with the actual work required to achieve them.
“The purchase is one decision, but implementation is where the organization has to live with that decision,” Fields said. “I want to know who owns the transition, what other systems are affected, and what happens if the migration takes longer than expected.”
How Much Training and Behavior Change Will Be Needed?
Technology adoption also depends on people.
Employees may have spent years working with an existing system. They know its strengths, its weaknesses, and often the workarounds required to get their jobs done. A replacement can eliminate those limitations while simultaneously requiring employees to learn an entirely different way of working.
Fields believes businesses should consider that learning curve when evaluating potential improvements.
The question is not only whether the new technology is easier or more capable. Businesses should also consider how quickly employees can become comfortable with it and what support will be necessary during the transition.
“You can have a better system and still have a difficult implementation if people do not understand how it fits into their work,” Fields said. “Adoption does not happen simply because the technology has been installed.”
What Does the Existing System Already Do Well?
Fields also encourages companies to make an honest assessment of the technology they are considering replacing.
Older systems can become inefficient or restrictive, but established technology has advantages that are easy to ignore. Employees understand it. Processes have been designed around it. Integrations have already been established. The organization knows how the system behaves under normal and unusual conditions.
That familiarity has value.
Fields does not believe that means companies should remain with outdated technology indefinitely. Instead, he argues that the advantages of a replacement should be significant enough to justify giving up the stability the organization already has.
“Proven technology can be boring, and sometimes boring is useful,” Fields said. “If something works every day and supports the business reliably, that should be part of the evaluation. You need a reason to introduce disruption.”
What Happens If the Business Waits?
The cost of changing technology deserves attention, but so does the cost of waiting.
An organization can become overly comfortable with an existing system. Employees may gradually build manual workarounds around its limitations. Maintenance costs can rise. Security concerns can increase. A system that once supported the business may eventually prevent it from improving.
Fields says this is why the decision should not be framed as simply choosing between new and old technology.
Instead, businesses can ask what is likely to happen under both scenarios.
“If we replace the system, what do we gain and what disruption do we create?” Fields said. “If we keep it for another year or two, what problems are likely to become more expensive or difficult? I think both sides of that question matter.”
Is the Improvement Worth the Disruption?
After years working with enterprise technology and newer solutions, Fields says he has become more deliberate about separating innovation from improvement.
New capabilities can create real opportunities. Artificial intelligence, automation, security technologies, and other emerging tools are changing what organizations can accomplish. However, adopting those technologies still requires a practical business case.
For Fields, the objective is not to keep every system forever or to adopt every new platform quickly. It is to understand when the improvement is substantial enough to make change worthwhile.
“The goal should not be to have the newest technology,” Fields said. “The goal should be to have technology that supports what the business is trying to accomplish. Sometimes that means changing. Sometimes it means recognizing that what you already have is still doing its job.”
About Clayton Fields
Clayton Fields is a go-to-market professional based in Woodstock, Georgia, with extensive experience in enterprise technology. He spent nearly 10 years with a major technology company working across commercial sales, client services, infrastructure, storage, and business applications. For more than 13 years, he has worked with security software and services startups, including approximately a decade helping bring AI-enabled solutions to market.
Fields holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with honors. His professional interests include technology, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, customer adoption, and go-to-market strategy. Outside of work, he enjoys real estate remodeling, construction, hiking, and traveling, and he has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.
Media Contact
Company Name:-Clayton Fields
Company Website:-https://www.clayton-fields.com/
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Flora Dong Discusses the Role of Human Judgment as AI Enters Wealth Management
-
Following Stanford’s AI Executive Education Program, the Founder and Managing Partner of Ardenwood Advisors shares observations on evaluating artificial intelligence while maintaining appropriate human oversight, privacy, security, and professional judgment.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug 30, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prominent across financial services, advisory firms are considering how the technology may fit within existing workflows while addressing questions involving oversight, information security, privacy, accuracy, and professional responsibility.
For Flora Dong, Founder and Managing Partner of Ardenwood Advisors, those questions became a particular focus after attending the three-day AI Executive Education Program at Stanford. One concept she found especially relevant to wealth management was the distinction between using technology to automate human work and using it to augment human capabilities.
“AI has introduced capabilities that are worth understanding, but I do not think the conversation should begin with how much work a technology can automate,” Dong said. “For me, the more useful starting point is understanding the problem a firm is trying to address and determining what level of human involvement remains appropriate.”
Dong believes that distinction is particularly relevant for registered investment advisers because evaluating new technologies may involve considerations beyond efficiency. Depending on the application and how it is used, firms may need to consider their own policies and procedures, regulatory obligations, information-security practices, privacy considerations, recordkeeping requirements, supervisory processes, and methods for reviewing technology-generated information.
“Being able to perform a task more quickly is different from determining whether a particular use of technology is appropriate,” Dong said. “Firms have to consider the information involved, how an output will be reviewed, and who remains responsible for the work.”
Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as a single category of technology with a uniform role, Dong believes individual applications should be evaluated based on their purpose and circumstances.
AI tools may assist with activities such as organizing information, supporting preliminary research, or performing certain administrative functions. However, the capabilities, limitations, security characteristics, and appropriate uses of individual systems can differ considerably.
That makes human review an important part of the discussion, according to Dong.
“An AI system may produce information quickly, but speed does not eliminate the need to evaluate that information,” she said. “The appropriate level of review will depend on the particular application, the information involved, and the way the technology is being used.”
Dong also points to privacy and information security as considerations when financial services firms evaluate AI. Advisory firms may work with confidential or sensitive information, and introducing third-party technology can raise questions about how information is accessed, processed, retained, and protected.
For that reason, Dong does not believe firms should assume that a technology appropriate for one workflow will necessarily be appropriate for another.
“There is understandable excitement around AI, and I share that interest,” she said. “At the same time, I think firms need to understand the technology they are evaluating and consider how its use fits within their existing responsibilities, policies, and controls.”
The Stanford program also prompted Dong to think more carefully about what happens when technology assists with tasks that have traditionally required significant employee time. While increased efficiency is frequently discussed as a potential benefit of AI, Dong believes firms still have to decide how any resulting capacity would be used.
She cautions against assuming that additional technological capability necessarily translates into a particular business or client outcome.
“Efficiency can be useful, but it is only one consideration,” Dong said. “If a process changes, I think it is important to understand what has actually changed and how the firm will evaluate whether the new process is appropriate for its intended purpose.”
That perspective reflects Dong’s broader view that AI should be evaluated as a tool rather than as a substitute for professional responsibility.
In wealth management, professionals regularly encounter circumstances in which information must be considered within the context of an individual client’s objectives, needs, and circumstances. Dong believes technology may assist with portions of that work without eliminating the need for people to evaluate information and exercise appropriate professional judgment.
“The more capable these technologies become, the more important it may be to clearly define where the technology is assisting and where the person remains responsible,” Dong said. “I do not see exploring AI and maintaining human judgment as competing ideas. The challenge is determining how they can appropriately coexist.”
Dong expects artificial intelligence to continue evolving, making it difficult to predict precisely how the technology will ultimately affect wealth management. Rather than making broad predictions about automation or the future of the advisor’s role, she believes firms can benefit from approaching individual applications deliberately and evaluating them within their own circumstances.
“We are still learning what these technologies can and cannot do,” Dong said. “For me, that makes thoughtful evaluation more important. The question is not simply whether AI can perform a task. It is why we are using it, what risks and limitations need to be considered, how its work will be reviewed, and where human judgment remains necessary.”
As AI capabilities continue to develop, Dong expects those questions to remain part of the broader conversation about technology in financial services.
About Flora Dong
Flora Dong is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ardenwood Advisors, an independent registered investment advisory firm based in Palo Alto, California. With more than 25 years of experience in wealth management, she works with individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and business owners, including many with financial interests across multiple countries. Her work may include investment advisory services, wealth planning, family office support, and coordination with clients’ other professional advisors, depending on each client’s circumstances.
Dong has been recognized by Forbes among America’s Top Wealth Advisors, Top Women Advisors, and Best-In-State Wealth Advisors. Any third-party rankings or recognitions should be considered in accordance with the methodology, eligibility criteria, and time period applicable to the particular recognition and are not indicative of future performance or client experience.
Important Disclosure
This commentary reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the Arden Global Family Offices employees providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by Arden Global Family Offices or performance returns of any Arden Global Family Offices client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice. Nothing in this commentary constitutes investment advice, performance data or any recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Arden Global Family Offices manages its clients’ accounts using a variety of investment techniques and strategies, which are not necessarily discussed in the commentary. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
No advice may be rendered by Arden Global Family Offices unless a client service agreement is in place.
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
-
Press Release4 days ago
Ghanaian Royal and Business Delegation to Convene in Dallas for U.S.–Ghana Investment Symposium
-
Press Release3 days ago
SMS Gadget: Bangladesh’s Authorized Best Shop Delivers Latest iPhone Just One Day After Official Launch
-
Press Release5 days ago
Blockchain Infrastructure Firm tZERO Integrates with Sui for Institutional-Grade Digital Asset Securities
-
Press Release1 week ago
Electronic System Sales LLC, the Parent Company of AZ Bounce Pro, Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
-
Press Release6 days ago
OKINAWA HARBORVIEW HOTEL completes full-scale renovation to deliver a modern Okinawan experience
-
Press Release5 days ago
Team Miracle Cyprus IVF Centre Presents Comprehensive Male Fertility Solutions With Inclusive Care
-
Press Release3 days ago
The Bookish Magazine Releases Issue 2, Celebrating Stories That Stand the Test of Time
-
Press Release3 days ago
YZi Labs Backs TermMax to Advance On-Chain Bond Market Infrastructure
