Freedom Holding Corp., the parent company of Freedom24, reinforced its commitment to fostering global dialogue on innovation, energy, and regional cooperation by standing out as Silver Sponsor at the 21st Annual Economist Cyprus Summit.
Representing the company was Paul Meeks, CFA, CAIA, Head of Technology Research at Freedom Capital Markets — a veteran technology investor with over 30 years of experience in global markets.
In this exclusive conversation with the Cyprus Mail, Meeks shares his insights on the future of AI in finance, the evolving balance between human expertise and machine intelligence, and how Freedom Holding Corp. is shaping the next chapter of fintech innovation.
As financial ecosystems evolve at the intersection of technology and trust, Freedom Holding Corp. continues to champion transparency, innovation, and investor empowerment through platforms such as Freedom24. Its presence at the Economist Cyprus Summit underlines the company’s growing engagement with Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean — regions poised to benefit from the digital transformation of finance.
Through thought leaders like Paul Meeks, Freedom Holding is helping shape the dialogue on how artificial intelligence and smart technologies can unlock sustainable growth and redefine the investor experience in an increasingly connected world.
The next leap in AI-driven finance
Cyprus Mail: AI is rapidly reshaping the financial ecosystem, from algorithmic trading to portfolio personalisation. In your view, what will define the next leap in how AI transforms fund management and transactions?
Paul Meeks: The key is personalisation and democratisation of finance. We’ve heard those terms before, but when you combine the power of AI with the coming breakthroughs in quantum computing, the potential becomes unprecedented.
Quantum computing will elevate performance far beyond what we know today, opening new possibilities for investors everywhere. That’s why I joined Freedom — because it gets it. In the US, large institutions like J.P. Morgan often say all the right things about innovation, but they don’t always want disruption to happen. In contrast, Freedom embraces it fully. And that same spirit of openness is something I see here in Cyprus, where there’s genuine enthusiasm for digital banking and fintech development.
Human judgment in the age of algorithms
Cyprus Mail: As someone with decades of experience in tech investing, how do you see the balance evolving between human intuition and machine-driven decision-making in financial analysis and asset management?
Meeks: I sometimes joke that I might not have a job in ten years — but there’s truth in that concern. The last major technology transition, the internet, levelled the information field. Analysts once had early access to data; now everyone gets it at the same time. AI and quantum computing will change the rules yet again.
What AI will do is dramatically boost productivity by automating repetitive, data-heavy tasks. But what it cannot replace is judgment. Interpreting data, reading markets, understanding people — those remain human strengths.
Even in AI itself, one of the hottest jobs today is prompt engineering — asking better, more contextual questions to get more meaningful answers. That’s where human insight still reigns. Machines execute; humans interpret.
Freedom Holding’s tech-forward vision
Cyprus Mail: Freedom Holding Corp. has positioned itself at the intersection of finance and innovation. How is the company leveraging technology, particularly AI, to empower investors and enhance transparency across its platforms such as Freedom24?
Meeks: Our research teams are spread across different geographies — I have tech analysts in Kazakhstan, for instance, who aren’t just covering local firms but also global players like Nvidia, Dell and Microsoft. Using AI-driven collaboration tools, we can share and refine investment ideas across time zones and continents.
Traditionally, analysts worked in silos. Now, research is global, instantaneous, and accessible. That openness defines Freedom’s culture — using technology to liberate information rather than guard it. It’s about empowering the investor community and widening access to credible market insight.
Cyprus as a fintech bridge
Cyprus Mail: Cyprus is increasingly recognised as a bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. From your global vantage point, what opportunities do you see for fintech development and investment emerging from the region?
Meeks: Cyprus has made strong progress. To move further, the next step is to attract more international financial institutions and digital banks. Freedom already has a meaningful presence here, but expanding the ecosystem will help establish Cyprus as a genuine financial hub, not just a lifestyle destination.
That requires incentives for companies to set up operations and, importantly, a regulatory framework that balances compliance with innovation. With the right support, Cyprus could become a cornerstone for fintech in the wider region.
Setting guardrails for the AI era
Cyprus Mail: As AI becomes more embedded in financial infrastructure, how should institutions and regulators safeguard against cyber-security risks while maintaining trust in digital finance?
Meeks: That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. We mishandled it the last time — during the internet boom. In the US we’re still governed by online legislation from 1996. That’s archaic.
Because of that, the EU has taken the lead globally on privacy and data regulation. This time we need a coordinated, forward-looking framework — ideally international, not just domestic. AI and quantum computing are moving at lightning speed; our regulations must evolve just as fast. We won’t get it perfect on day one, but we can’t wait another decade while others set the rules.
The geopolitics of technology
Cyprus Mail: You mentioned the importance of cooperation between US and China. How do you view current tensions affecting the AI sector?
Meeks: It’s a huge issue. Right now, export controls are a bigger threat than tariffs. Nvidia, the leader in AI chips, is currently prohibited from shipping certain products to China — and both sides lose from that. We need a global, not fragmented, ecosystem for AI and quantum technologies. Otherwise, innovation will slow.
China has just unveiled its new five-year plan, focusing on technological independence. While that makes sense from a security standpoint, a divided world in AI is a loss for everyone. Cooperation, not isolationism, is the only sustainable path.
Quantum computing — the next frontier
Cyprus Mail: Beyond AI, which technological frontiers — from green tech to quantum computing — do you believe will most influence the investment landscape over the next five years?
Meeks: Quantum computing is the next great leap. Companies like IBM are already positioning themselves to release commercial systems by 2029 or 2030. If they succeed in moving the technology from the lab to the market, it will revolutionise optimisation — everything from industrial supply chains to financial portfolios.
For Freedom Holding, that means applying advanced optimisation techniques both in investing and in daily operations. It’s early, but the groundwork is being laid now. Quantum will extend AI’s capabilities dramatically.
Sustainability and responsible finance
Cyprus Mail: Freedom Holding Corp. has also been recognised for its ESG and CSR programmes, particularly in Cyprus. How important is sustainability in Freedom’s global strategy?
Meeks: It’s fundamental. I’m a big fan of ESG investing — I even ran a mutual fund dedicated to it in the US. Unfortunately, political shifts have rolled back some sustainability priorities there. But Freedom’s commitment hasn’t wavered.
The team here in Cyprus is deeply engaged in community initiatives and corporate responsibility programmes. They bring tremendous energy and positivity, which aligns perfectly with Freedom’s culture of long-term, ethical growth.
A global future shaped by cooperation
As the conversation draws to a close, Meeks emphasises that the future of AI and finance will hinge not only on innovation but on collaboration — between nations, regulators, and industries. “It’s a global world,” he says. “You can’t roll it back to the 1950s model. Whether it’s the US, China or Europe, we’re interconnected. The goal should be shared progress, not technological isolation.”
With leaders like Paul Meeks guiding the dialogue and Freedom Holding Corp. championing cross-border transparency and innovation, Cyprus is well-placed to continue bridging continents — and to help define the next chapter of the world’s digital financial evolution.
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