Yet nine floors up, in an office bereft of any form of signage, a new artificially intelligent investor is taking shape. This trading robot, developed by a team of academic roboticists, mathematicians, and ex-bankers, is the brainchild of fledgling hedge fund Aidyia, which has been seed-funded by venture capitalist Emanuel Breiter. Scheduled to start trading US equities this year, the team hopes it will deliver returns on the three years and millions of dollars it has taken to build, by turning huge swathes of financial and linguistic data into unique investment strategies. "It's seeing patterns that aren't easy for the human mind to wrap itself around," said Aidyia's co-founder and chief scientist, Ben Goertzel. Computer-assisted trading is nothing new.

The integration of artificial intelligence and the financial industry has always been a match made in heaven--high volumes, the quantitative aspect of finances, need for expediency and accuracy are ideal for the unique skill-set of AI. But, can it impact the high-risk, high-return world of hedge funds? Several companies think so including Hong Kong-based Aidyia. What is a hedge fund? Today, there are more than 10,000 hedge funds that manage approximately $3 trillion in assets.

The integration of artificial intelligence and the financial industry has always been a match made in heaven--high volumes, the quantitative aspect of finances, need for expediency and accuracy are ideal for the unique skill-set of AI. But, can it impact the high-risk, high-return world of hedge funds? Several companies think so including Hong Kong-based Aidyia. What is a hedge fund? Today, there are more than 10,000 hedge funds that manage approximately $3 trillion in assets.

Last week, Ben Goertzel and his company, Aidyia, turned on a hedge fund that makes all stock trades using artificial intelligence--no human intervention required. "If we all die," says Goertzel, a longtime AI guru and the company's chief scientist, "it would keep trading." Goertzel and other humans built the system, of course, and they'll continue to modify it as needed. But their creation identifies and executes trades entirely on its own, drawing on multiple forms of AI, including one inspired by genetic evolution and another based on probabilistic logic. Each day, after analyzing everything from market prices and volumes to macroeconomic data and corporate accounting documents, these AI engines make their own market predictions and then "vote" on the best course of action. If we all die, it would keep trading.

Can AI-enabled automation replace your company's entire labor force? How much will technology change affect labor? According to research informing our 2017 research report, "Reshaping Business with Artificial Intelligence," not as much as one would expect. Less than half of more than 3,000 survey respondents expect AI to reduce their organization's workforce in the next five years, and just 30% are fearful that AI will automate their own jobs. But as technology relentlessly improves, significant changes may still be on the horizon.

Aidyia, a Hong Kong automated system, uses a number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, including one inspired by genetic evolution and another one by probabilistic logic, to make predictions about the market. On its first day, it generated a 2% increase in an undisclosed amount of money, according to Ben Goertzel, its creator and a long-time AI guru. Every day these engines process vast quantities of material–analysing everything from market prices to macroeconomic data and corporate accounting documents–and then "vote" on a course of action. According to a study by Preqin, a market research firm, some 1,360 quantitative funds use computer models to trade. This is 9% of all funds, and it represents $197 billion in total.

Last week, Ben Goertzel and his company, Aidyia, turned on a hedge fund that makes all stock trades using artificial intelligence--no human intervention required. "If we all die," says Goertzel, a longtime AI guru and the company's chief scientist, "it would keep trading." Goertzel and other humans built the system, of course, and they'll continue to modify it as needed. But their creation identifies and executes trades entirely on its own, drawing on multiple forms of AI, including one inspired by genetic evolution and another based on probabilistic logic. Each day, after analyzing everything from market prices and volumes to macroeconomic data and corporate accounting documents, these AI engines make their own market predictions and then "vote" on the best course of action. If we all die, it would keep trading.