BlackRock adds robotics ETF to growing ranks of AI-themed products

By Suzanne McGee NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) BlackRock rolled out another in a suite of exchange-traded funds tied to AI on Wednesday, even as the willingness ​of investors to wholeheartedly embrace the theme has hit ‌speed bumps. The global asset manager said that its iShares Future Robotics and Related Technologies ETF will invest in companies that use intelligent machines to streamline repetitive tasks in industries such as transportation and manufacturing, ‌which ​it said represents the next frontier in ⁠AI technologies. “Recent volatility is ⁠a reminder that AI is not a single trade and that investors need to be deliberate about where and how they take exposure, said Jay Jacobs, US head ​of equity ETFs at BlackRock. That volatility does not change the firm s conviction on the AI theme, he added. Expectations ⁠can shift quickly, adoption can develop ⁠unevenly and market risk remains concentrated in a ​relatively narrow group of companies, Jacobs said. Moreover, AI has ​emerged