The Age of Disruption & Uncertainty:
AI’s Rational Bubble, the Iran War,
and National Debt
Announcements:
- The first meeting of the virtual Book Club SIG will meet on Thursday, April 16th at 7:30. Please email BookClubSIG@aaiirtp.org if you would like to attend. In this SIG, we will discuss books, the AAII Journal or other journal articles, and/or the speakers’ presentations.
- The Income SIG is on the 18th. See the SIGs web page for details on all SIG meetings.
- We are seeking a Program Co-Chair or Assistant. Please consider assuming this critical position on the chapter’s board. You’ll have lots of support. See the Leadership Openings webpage for details.
- Following the chapter meeting, please join us and Dennis for lunch at the Cape Fear Seafood Company (Village District).
Presentation Summary:
Dennis Stearns was asked many questions at our January meeting about artificial intelligence when he described the trend as a Rational Bubble. The bubble has since deflated. Dennis will discuss the next phase of the bubble, AI trends and their impact on investing, jobs, the economy and the national debt. He will also address key scenarios in the Iran war and how they may impact the powerful Super Trends.
Meeting Details:
Date: Saturday, April 11th, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET (mix and mingle starts at 9:30)
Location: Fairmont United Methodist Church: 2501 Clark Avenue Raleigh, NC 27607. See map of Fairmont for parking, building entrances, and the number of stairs entrances require.
Virtual access: To register to attend the Zoom webinar, please purchase a ticket on our chapter’s Square account. Then, please register with Zoom so you can receive reminders one and 24 hours before the meeting.
Cost: $10 cash (in-person) or electronic payment (webinar); $5 for students (email president@aaiirtp.org for webinar access); first time in-person attendee: free
Before attending in person, please read: the AAII Protocol for In-Person Meetings
If you feel sick, please join us virtually.
About Our Speaker
Dennis has been called a leading futurist and scenario expert by the Financial Planning Association and a Super Trend Guru by the Street.com. He has studied super trends (technology accelerators, global trade and demographic trends) for over two decades and led or participated in numerous simulations and think tanks. Stearns Financial has offices in the triangle and triad areas of NC and serves clients around the U.S. The firm earned a Top Innovator award from RIA Citywire and manages over $2.5 Billion in investments for individuals and institutions.