«The opportunities out there for AI in asset management feel like being a kid in a candy shop»

As part of our new initiative «The AI Finance Hub», I had the great pleasure of engaging in a conversation with Dr. Bolko Hohaus of HCP Asset Management SA, Geneva, on the topic of AI and asset management.

This brief exchange proved to be exceptionally insightful, intellectually rich, and highly inspiring. The perspectives and practical insights shared by Dr. Hohaus were so compelling that I spontaneously invited him to speak at the 8^th Fundplat «The Mountain Talks» Summit, to be held in March 2026 on the Uetliberg.

I am delighted that he has accepted the invitation. We can now look forward to a thought-provoking lunch and an intellectually rewarding afternoon, offering valuable insights at the intersection of AI, innovation, and asset management. Thomas J. Caduff, CEO, Fundplat LLC

Dr. Hohaus, AI is transforming entire industries – how do you see the future of asset management? Evolution or full-blown revolution?

AI will be a revolution for asset management, specifically on the investment side. It will be more of an efficiency driver for other functions, such as data handling, risk management, portfolio construction, and operations, as AI will allow them to operate faster, more adaptively, and more cost-efficiently. AI enables a more fundamental transformation in how investment decisions are generated, moving from static models to continuously learning systems that can integrate vast, multifaceted datasets in real time and in a rational manner.

Machine-native will be the keyword going forward, describing the core investment engine executing automatically. However, AI will likely not fully replace human reasoning. The real transformation lies in combining machine intelligence with human experience. Firms that successfully embed AI into their investment culture and processes will gain a lasting competitive edge, while others risk becoming structurally disadvantaged.

What does this mean for ETFs that simply track major indices and manage billions in assets – are they ready for the AI era, or is an adjustment needed?

New AI solutions will allow the creation of a new class of ETFs, so-called AI-enhanced ETFs.
Dr. Bolko Hohaus

Index ETFs have been extremely successful because of their simplicity, transparency, and low cost, and those strengths will remain. But in an AI-driven world, scale alone is no longer enough. As markets become more adaptive and information diffuses faster, purely static index tracking risks become increasingly exposed to concentration, regime shifts, and hidden risks.

New AI solutions will allow the creation of a new class of ETFs, so-called AI-enhanced ETFs, which will gain market share with better performance, portfolio construction and customization without sacrificing transparency. First-movers will have a massive advantage in that race.

And how is your firm positioning itself to stay ahead in this obviously dynamic new environment?

At HCP Asset Management, we are positioning the firm to lead the next era of asset management by embedding AI and innovation into our core investment engine. Over the last years, we developed an advanced machine learning algorithm, called HorusAI, that efficiently predicts outperforming stocks with statistical precision. We have tested, trained, and fine-tuned these solutions over the past six years and have been running client money on them since 2024. I am amazed at how well our new proprietary technology works in a world of information overload. We plan to roll out this technology to a wider audience and are working to improve it in this fast-moving environment. The opportunities out there for AI in asset management feel like being a kid in a candy shop.