Strip

So far, there are only 11 AI-run exchange-traded funds, based on a Barron’s screening. Others, though, are probably employing AI behind the scenes. “If I were in an asset manager’s shoes right now, I’d be all over looking at AI, but in more of the perspective of how do I strip some cost out of my business and make it run more efficiently?” says Lee Davidson, Morningstar’s chief analytics officer.

The good news—sort of—for human managers is that index funds are still the primary threat, as the current AI-run funds have also struggled to beat their benchmarks. Only one, Qraft AI-Enhanced US Large Cap, stands out for performance. But that should change in time, as more funds launch and the AIs “learn.”
–Barron’s