①Cathie Wood, the star fund manager of Wall Street and head of Ark Investment, stated on Tuesday that humanoid robots, which resemble humans in size, shape, and movement, may represent one of the biggest opportunities in the artificial intelligence field; ②although she acknowledged that the AI sector might face challenges in the short term, she believes that the current high valuations of large technology companies are reasonable from a five-year perspective.
Since the beginning of this year, the global humanoid robotics market has shown rapid development, with related concepts gaining enthusiastic support in the stock markets of multiple countries. The future prospects of humanoid robots have become one of the hot topics in capital market discussions.
Cathie Wood, the star fund manager of Ark Investment, stated during an interview at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, that humanoid robots, which resemble humans in size, shape, and movement, may represent one of the biggest opportunities in the artificial intelligence field.
"I know many people are concerned about the 'AI hype'," Wood said. "But as we look ahead, especially in the field of embodied artificial intelligence, which relates to autonomous taxis and will revolutionize the transportation world, as well as healthcare (which may be one of the most profound applications of AI), we believe this investment will pay off."
She added: "I think the next focus will be humanoid robots. And I believe humanoid robots will become the largest among all embodied AI opportunities."
For a long time, AI-powered humanoid robots have sparked public imagination, with major companies competing to develop robots that could bring transformative changes to industries such as healthcare, personal assistance, and retail.
However, investors remain skeptical about this technology, especially whether these robots perform well enough to justify their costs.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is a staunch supporter of this concept. In fact, the tech billionaire stated last month that Tesla's "Optimus" robot would eventually account for approximately 80% of the value of the electric vehicle manufacturer.
Wood manages an exchange-traded fund called ARK Artificial Intelligence & Robotics UCITS ETF, which focuses on artificial intelligence and robotics. The largest holdings in this ETF include Tesla (9.16%), Palantir (7.02%), and AMD (6.14%).
Productivity enhancement
Wood also believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance the productivity of both businesses and individuals.
"However, I believe that in the corporate sector, large enterprises will need some time to be ready for transformation — this requires companies like Palantir to delve deep into these organizations, assisting them with comprehensive restructuring to truly capture the productivity gains we believe AI will unleash," Wood stated.
"In the consumer space, consumers love all of this. You know, I think we all look forward to having our personal assistants help us shop," she said. "I am not only excited about shopping but also about how artificial intelligence will significantly boost my personal productivity. In terms of research, it has already delivered."
Despite Wood's optimism, she acknowledges that the artificial intelligence sector may face challenges in the short term. However, she believes that over a five-year horizon, the current high valuations of large technology companies are justified.
Editor/Lambor
