[Synesthesis]

Remember when S. Hawking, E. Musk, and others warned to be cautious about the future of AI? I think the contrast defined here between the AI: HFT (High frequency trading algorithms) and 'Monkeys' (the alleged fraudsters, bashing buttons in a quick and manipulative fashion) shows already that we don't like to judge AI the same as we do with humans; while the manipulative effect of both techniques is hard to judge and compare, the argument made is mainly of another order: intent.

On the highest level both AI/HFT and Monkey do this for their own earnings. Society decides that profits out of investment are well earned because they serve some important mechanisms that allow companies to operate. HFT used this as an important argument: they add volatility to the market thus allowing more realistic prices. But the same argument can also be made by the Monkeys.

On a lower level we now start to distinguish: the Monkey techniques are manipulative and were used out of malicious intent. Some AI/HFT techniques may be manipulative but intent disguised: if the technique or decision to "manipulate" was devised by AI, who is to blame?