Will Robots Manage Your Portfolio Better Than You?

From Jobs to Investments: AI’s Rapid Expansion

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic idea — it is already here, transforming industries at lightning speed. From customer service chatbots replacing call centers, to AI-powered assistants in law, medicine, and logistics, machines are increasingly doing jobs faster, cheaper, and often more accurately than humans.

Just five years ago, AI tools were seen as novelties. Today, they are deeply embedded in business operations. McKinsey estimates that 40% of workplace tasks could be automated by 2030, reshaping the job market and how companies operate.

The finance sector is no exception. AI is already writing stock reports, scanning balance sheets in seconds, and helping traders spot anomalies. What used to take teams of analysts days can now be done by algorithms in milliseconds.

Follow Me on eToro

AI in Investing: The Early Stage

Investors today are already using AI in several ways:

• Portfolio Construction: AI-powered robo-advisors (e.g., Betterment, Wealthfront) manage billions in assets, building diversified portfolios at a fraction of the cost of traditional advisors.

• Stock Screening: AI models sift through earnings, news, and even social sentiment to identify undervalued companies.

• Risk Management: Hedge funds employ AI to detect unusual trading patterns and reduce exposure.

• Crypto Trading: Algorithmic bots dominate volume on exchanges, executing strategies no human could replicate manually.

Yet, we are still in the early innings. Most AI-driven portfolios today perform similarly to index funds or basic strategies. But the gap is closing — and quickly.

2028: A Tipping Point?

Looking ahead, by 2028, we may see AI outperform human investors on a large scale. Why?

1. Data Advantage: AI doesn’t get tired, distracted, or emotional. It can process decades of market data, global news, and macroeconomic shifts in real-time.

2. Behavioral Edge: Most humans fall victim to fear, greed, and overconfidence. AI has no ego, no panic, no FOMO.

3. Speed of Execution: While a human reads an earnings report in an hour, AI can read 1,000 in the same time and act instantly.

4. Learning Loops: Modern AI improves itself — every trade it makes creates new data, making the next trade smarter.

Goldman Sachs has already predicted that AI could boost annual global GDP growth by 7% over the next decade. In investing, that could mean a new wave of AI-driven funds consistently beating the average investor — and possibly even outperforming many of today’s most famous managers.

What About Popular Investors?

This raises a fascinating question: What happens to human Popular Investors when AI begins to outperform them?

I see three possible outcomes:

1. Human + AI Hybrid Investors – The best Popular Investors won’t compete with AI; they will use it. By combining human judgment with machine precision, these investors could provide the best of both worlds.

2. Trust and Personal Branding – Many people will still prefer following a human, even if AI shows better numbers. Why? Trust. Investors want someone to explain, teach, and guide — not just a black-box algorithm.

3. AI-as-a-Service Funds on eToro? – By 2030, we may even see eToro itself listing AI-managed portfolios. If that happens, the role of Popular Investors could shift from “stock pickers” to AI curators — those who find, test, and adapt the best AI strategies for their followers.

   
   

   

   
   

My Prediction

By 2028, AI-powered funds will likely outperform the majority of human investors, even some of the big names. But humans won’t disappear — instead, the best Popular Investors will use AI as a tool, not a rival.

Think of it like chess: in the early 2000s, AI (Deep Blue) started beating grandmasters. Today, the strongest players are not humans alone or machines alone, but centaurs — teams of human + AI. Investing will follow the same path.

Those Popular Investors who adopt AI early will lead. Those who ignore it may struggle to keep up.

Final Thought

AI is not here to replace investors — it’s here to change investing forever. For followers and copy traders, the question isn’t “Will AI outperform?” but rather, “Which Popular Investors will use AI to deliver smarter, safer, and more consistent returns?”

As for me, I believe in embracing AI as a tool while keeping the human touch that investors value: transparency, education, and trust. Because while AI may calculate percentages, only humans can inspire confidence.

👉 Follow me on eToro to see how I combine human insight with AI-driven tools for smarter investing.