Despite the rise of prediction markets, thematic exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, remain a popular way for investors to express conviction in long-term trends.
Artificial intelligence has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. According to ETF Central screening data, the 23 ETFs representing the AI and big data segment generated an average return of 64.8% over the trailing one-year period.
Strong performance has been accompanied by high investor demand. Over the same period, those 23 funds collectively attracted roughly $8.5 billion in net inflows, helping push total assets under management, or AUM, to $19.6 billion.
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The combination of robust returns and substantial capital inflows suggests investor enthusiasm for the AI theme remains intact despite growing concerns around valuations.
Not all AI ETFs are created equal, however. The category now spans a wide range of strategies, from broad-based funds targeting multiple parts of the AI value chain to highly specialized products focused on a single niche. Investors can now find ETFs dedicated to photonics, memory chips, data center real estate investment trusts, hyperscale cloud providers and software developers.
Some funds have become even more specialized by incorporating private market exposure. A handful of AI ETFs now hold stakes in privately owned companies such as Anthropic, offering investors indirect access to firms that would otherwise be unavailable through public markets.
The result is an increasingly diverse AI ETF landscape, with funds offering different risk profiles, concentrations and methods of capturing the AI buildout.
Here are six of the best AI ETFs to buy for 2026:
| ETF | Expense Ratio |
| Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (ticker: CHAT) | 0.75% |
| iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) | 0.55% |
| Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ) | 0.68% |
| Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ) | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AGIX) | 0.99% |
| Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Data ETF (XAIX) | 0.35% |
Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (CHAT)
“We believe it is critical to approach investing in generative AI companies with an actively managed approach,” says Thomas DiFazio, ETF strategist at Roundhill Investments. “The AI landscape is rapidly evolving, and it is crucial to be nimble.” Roundhill’s main AI offering is CHAT, which despite a high 0.75% expense ratio has managed to outperform the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 since inception.
“CHAT actively selects stocks using a proprietary methodology that combines a transcript score and sector score to evaluate companies’ relevance to generative AI, factoring in their revenue, profit and R&D investment in AI technologies,” explains Dave Mazza, CEO at Roundhill Investments. “Companies are then scored and selected based on their exposure to AI, market capitalization and liquidity.”
iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI)
CHAT has outperformed the market so far, but there are no guarantees that will continue. One risk with actively managed ETFs is style drift. Over time, portfolio managers can change, investment teams can experience turnover or the underlying models used to select stocks may evolve, potentially causing a fund to behave differently than investors originally expected and, in some cases, underperform.
Investors looking for an alternative approach to active management for AI equities may find BAI appealing. This ETF is managed by Tony Kim, head of BlackRock’s fundamental equities global technology team, and charges a relatively competitive 0.55% expense ratio. As of the end of May, BAI had returned an impressive 95.9% with distributions reinvested over the trailing one-year period.
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ)
“We’re still in the early stages of the AI cycle, and proper diversification is extremely important — be it across company stages or geographies — because it’s difficult to pick a winner or two this early,” says Tejas Dessai, director of thematic research at Global X ETFs. “With a thematic ETF, you’re following an idea as opposed to a complex strategy.” AIQ is one of the largest AI ETFs, with $11 billion in AUM.
This ETF tracks 84 companies represented by the Indxx Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index. The recent outperformance of memory stocks has propelled names like SK hynix Inc. (000660.KS), Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. (005930.KS) and Micron Technology Inc. (MU) to the top of AIQ’s holdings. However, this ETF is fairly volatile, with a beta of 1.6, and richly valued, with an average 24.8 times price-to-earnings ratio.
Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ)
“When you think about smartphones, laptops or even mobile applications, lower prices and cheaper development costs didn’t shrink the market but expanded it as innovation accelerated,” Dessai says. “AI could follow the same trajectory, embedding itself into the physical world, from factories and drones to delivery vans and buildings.” BOTZ offers investors a way to target AI-based automation trends.
BOTZ’s portfolio is less technology-sector-tilted compared to AIQ. Instead, the ETF places a higher emphasis on industrial sector stocks, particularly Japanese companies that are using robotics and AI for manufacturing. There is also an 8.6% allocation to healthcare stocks, with Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) making up most of the representation. BOTZ charges a 0.68% expense ratio.
KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AGIX)
Under SEC Rule 22e-4, ETFs are permitted to invest up to 15% of their assets in illiquid investments, including private equity. Some funds use this allowance to provide targeted exposure to companies that are otherwise inaccessible to public market investors, and AGIX is one example. In AGIX’s case, that currently includes a 1.4% allocation to Anthropic PBC, known for its Claude family of large language models.
The fund also holds a 2.2% allocation to a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX) special-purpose vehicle. With SpaceX now public, that position is in a transition period as the fund adjusts its exposure. The majority of AGIX’s portfolio, however, remains invested in publicly traded companies selected from the Solactive Etna Artificial General Intelligence Index. The ETF charges 0.99%.
Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Data ETF (XAIX)
ETF issuers know that investors are often willing to pay more for concentrated exposure to a specific trend in exchange for the possibility of outperforming the broader market. By looking carefully, however, thematic investors can still find relatively affordable options. XAIX, for example, tracks the Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Index while charging a competitive 0.35% expense ratio.
One of the most distinctive aspects of XAIX’s methodology is its use of a patent-based screening process. The index evaluates filings for evidence of meaningful AI-related research and development activity, helping identify companies actively building intellectual property in the field. In theory, firms with strong patent portfolios may be better positioned to sustain competitive advantages and generate sales growth.
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6 of the Best AI ETFs to Buy for 2026 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/24/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
