Quarterly Commentary: Technology Evolves. People Matter.

“I warned you guys in 1984 but you didn’t listen!” director James Cameron joked, referring to The Terminator and its vision of intelligent machines. With artificial intelligence advancing so quickly, it is easy to see why the film has returned to the conversation. AI offers remarkable possibilities, but questions about its risks and its effect on our lives deserve attention, too.

The movie makes for a memorable warning. What the movie doesn’t capture is how people respond. We develop new tools, learn where they fall short, and decide how to use them responsibly. We have faced that mix of possibility and uncertainty before. The internet changed how we communicate and do business, while also creating risks that require ongoing vigilance. AI will bring its own opportunities and challenges, and our choices will help shape what comes next.

Periods of change can also make investors uneasy. New technology can reshape industries, and headlines often focus on what might go wrong. Those risks deserve thoughtful consideration, but they rarely tell the whole story. Businesses and individuals respond, adapt, and find new ways forward.

Markets reflect that ongoing process, even when the path is uneven. We cannot know which companies or innovations will lead the way, or how quickly change will occur. A diversified portfolio and a plan suited to your goals can help you participate in progress without making your future depend on a single forecast.

Dimensional Fund Advisors founder David Booth expressed his confidence in people this way:

“Anybody who knows me knows about my belief in the power of markets. This perspective is grounded in my belief in human ingenuity: our inherent drive to solve problems, to rise to the occasion in the face of uncertainty, to be helpful to one another, and in doing so, to make each other’s lives better.”

We share that confidence. It is one reason we believe a long-term investment plan should be built to withstand uncertainty, rather than depend on predicting the next headline.

At FVIM, we see technology as a way to serve you better. Technology can help us analyze information, monitor accounts, streamline routine work, and make it easier to stay connected. We evaluate new tools with care, considering accuracy, privacy, and where human judgment is essential. The decisions that matter most still call for conversation: understanding your priorities, weighing tradeoffs, and adjusting your plan as your life changes. A useful tool can give us more time and better information for those conversations, but it cannot know what matters to you unless we take the time to ask.

That personal connection is also why we continue to invest in our team. We are pleased to welcome Tiffany Duncan, our new Client Service Specialist. She brings more than 15 years of administrative and client service experience, along with a warm, attentive approach. We look forward to introducing her to you as she settles into her role.

The tools we use will continue to evolve. Our commitment to listening carefully, offering thoughtful advice, and being available when you need us will remain central to our work. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and look forward to navigating what comes next together.

Your friends at Fort Vancouver Investment Management, LLC