Why AI Will Make Quant Investing More Diverse, Not More Crowded

David Wright, Head of Quantitative Investments at Pictet Asset Management and formerly of BlackRock, argues that AI is making quantitative investing more differentiated rather than pushing firms toward the same trades.

• Wright argues that successful quantitative investing depends on combining diverse expertise—from physicists and computer scientists to traditional portfolio managers—to reduce groupthink and improve investment models.
• He challenges the common belief that AI creates crowded positioning, noting that firms use AI in fundamentally different ways, from factor enhancement and alternative data analysis to proprietary stock forecasting models.
• Looking ahead, Pictet sees AI playing an even larger role across research, portfolio construction and software development, with agentic AI expected to improve how investment teams interpret proprietary forecasts.

Read the full interview to learn how one of Europe's leading quantitative investors views AI, innovation and the future of systematic investing.