It is a brand new year and analysts are scrambling to promote their top picks. EquBot, an exchange traded fund manager, is out with its list for 2022 with a twist: the stock picker is not human. Artificial intelligence is the driving force at its AI Powered Equity ETF (AIEQ). If its algorithms are correct, 2022 will be another great year for the biggest companies with strong momentum. As with all top pick lists, investors should tread carefully.

EquBot, the company behind the AI Powered Equity ETF (NYSE: AIEQ) that runs on the Watson platform, is taking its artificial intelligence capabilities international with a new exchange traded fund. The AI Powered International Equity ETF (NYSE: AIIQ) debuted Wednesday. AIIQ is actively managed and holds ex-U.S. developed markets stocks. EquBot launched the AI Powered Equity ETF in October. The product has gotten off to impressive start, as highlighted by its $137.63 million in assets under management.

As if professional mutual fund managers didn't have it hard enough. Not only do they have to contend with the growing popularity of low-cost index funds, which simply buy and hold the entire market, but now here comes another threat: robot stock pickers. The San Francisco firm EquBot has launched the first retail ETF to be managed using IBM's Watson supercomputing artificial intelligence technology. The use of computers to buy stocks isn't new. So-called "quant funds" (short for quantitative analysis) have been around for years, relying on computer algorithms to identify short-term trading patterns and opportunities in the market.