I want to share something that may feel subtle in practice but significant in philosophy.
A new category of artificial intelligence tools is emerging. Please read up on OpenClaw – this week over 160000 people downloaded and shared most of not all of their data with this model. They are designed to act on your behalf, mirror tone, interpret intent and execute decisions.
This shift changes the equation of AI meaningfully in our opinion.
Earlier tools required human editing before action. These newer systems are built to decide and operate independently. They are trained to replicate voice and cadence convincingly and are designed to reduce friction between instruction and execution. This means efficiency increases and so does complexity.
Somerset has always operated on clarity and discernment. In a world where communication can be convincingly replicated, the responsible posture is to slow down.
Leadership sometimes looks like moving carefully when the world is accelerating, and this is a change you may notice from us. We are learning in real time alongside you.
Inbound emails and audio communications will be reviewed through a sharper identity lens. Requests involving movement of funds, sensitive information, or structural changes may require confirmation through a secondary channel. If tone, timing, or urgency feels even slightly misaligned, we will pause and verify and all of this is deliberate.
When email first became standard in financial services, firms eventually learned that convenience required confirmation. Wire instructions that once felt simple began requiring secondary verification. That adjustment did not reflect distrust. It reflected maturity, and we find ourselves in a similar moment now.
Technology is again compressing the distance between instruction and action. When systems are built to act autonomously, identity hygiene becomes foundational. Part of our role now (and yours) is to serve as editors and discerners of true identity. Stewardship requires it.
This shift extends beyond communication. It reaches into markets themselves.
When information began moving at telegraph speed in the nineteenth century, markets changed. Price differences between cities narrowed and speculation increased. Verification norms evolved. The system adapted to velocity.
Autonomous systems introduce a new form of speed. Agents can read filings, monitor sentiment, generate analysis, and execute trades in seconds. Decision cycles compress while feedback loops tighten (remember the hall of mirrors concept?). Volatility can amplify.
Markets have always been reflexive. Human interpretation influences price, and price influences interpretation in return. Automated systems add a layer where machines respond to content generated by other machines. They can speak to other agents without true consent in open systems which is the environment we find ourselves in now. Short-term movements may become sharper. Liquidity can thin quickly if many systems share similar triggers.
Identity risk can become market risk. If commentary can be convincingly synthesized or instructions mirrored before authenticity is confirmed, trust becomes an economic variable. Verification friction may reenter the system as a stabilizing force.
We view this as evolution and our response is clarity and discernment.
You should expect us to:
- Review inbound communication with greater scrutiny.
- Confirm sensitive instructions through established channels.
- Pause when something feels misaligned.
- Preserve human judgment wherever assets are involved.
If you ever receive communication that appears to come from us and feels unusual, please call directly. If we confirm instructions more carefully than before, understand that it reflects care for your family and your assets.
Markets may move faster and technology may act more autonomously. Our posture will remain steady and at times slower than before so we be sure of ourselves. Remember one of our core values here at Somerset is always relational. We know you.
Trust is built through small decisions, repeated over time. We intend to keep protecting it that way.
Warmly,
Lauren
Lauren Pearson is the founding partner and Managing Director of Somerset Advisory, an independent wealth management firm built to serve the complex needs of multigenerational families, entrepreneurs, and executives.