Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role in minimizing the risks of investment products going forward, according to a forecast. The advantage lies in its ability to enhance product safety by minimizing volatility through consistent decision-making that excludes emotion. The outlook is that product development will increasingly take a "hybrid approach," combining human management capabilities with the strengths of AI.
Kim Yeon-chu, CEO of Mirae Asset WealthSpot, said in an interview with The Seoul Economic Daily held Monday at Mirae Asset Global Investments' headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, that "the essential role of AI lies in 'risk management,' which enhances management efficiency so that one can generate better returns in risky situations, or pursue lower risk if the same returns can be expected." Underlying this view is the judgment that AI can identify risk factors such as deteriorating market liquidity and flexibly adjust product allocations, and that when combined with human management experience, returns can be pursued even in volatile markets.
He emphasized that AI's strengths can be maximized particularly in active exchange-traded funds (ETFs). "The black-box approach of 'AI directly picking stocks to beat the market' has not delivered the performance expected," he said. "In the case of active ETFs, excess returns can be expected when AI captures meaningful signals through stock screening and risk measurement, and managers then make the decision," he explained.
WealthSpot, launched in December 2024, is a financial AI specialist that plans the AI initiatives of Mirae Asset Group. The company commands strong interest within the group, to the extent that AI-based product development and management strategies were addressed as a key agenda item at "Mirae Asset Rally 2026" held this month. Kim cited "proving the practical utility of AI" as the biggest change over the two years since WealthSpot's launch. "In the early days, it was a time to confirm the potential of AI-based investment models, but now we are building an 'AI factory' that integrates AI and machine learning models into actual products and management processes to enable systematic investment decisions," he said.
A representative example is the "Global X Active US Dividend ETF," unveiled last month by Global X's Canadian subsidiary, into which an AI analysis model was integrated. This product is an active ETF that comprehensively analyzes dividends and share buybacks of US companies. AI plays the role of analyzing so that companies with a high likelihood of continued shareholder returns can be included in the portfolio, differentiating it from existing similar products. "In the case of 'Global X GXIG' launched by Global X, AI plays the role of screening investment-grade corporate bond stocks to select precise holdings, while in 'Global X COMD,' it ranks the commodities market, generates macro signals, and assists in market analysis, minimizing volatility in the commodities market," Kim emphasized. He added, "We will expand collaboration not only with Mirae Asset Group affiliates but also with external business partners."
In addition, regarding the recently resurfaced "AI bubble controversy," he diagnosed that a cautious approach is needed. "What matters is not whether AI is a promising technology, but whether this technology can actually translate into revenue, profit, or cash flow," he said. "It is true that AI accelerates technological progress, but because it does not guarantee investment returns for specific companies or products, one must distinguish between the 'potential for technological progress' and the 'fairness of investment prices' in making judgments," he explained.
