CES Tech Talk podcast, now in season 7, features interviews with experts bringing you an insider’s look at what’s new and trending in consumer technology, and at CES. Subscribe to get the latest episodes. The subject is artificial intelligence as a new season opens for CES Tech Talk. Nasdaq index experts discuss AI, considering where it’s been and where it’s going from a trends-and-indicators perspective. Following the money, two pros who are studying how investors engage with AI share insights. Find out what Sara Mehle, Nasdaq index research strategist, and Brian Comiskey, CTA director of thematic programs, see as they track this topical technology. As AI tools evolve, investors are looking for answers relative to risk and return. That’s where Sara and Brian come in. Their work helps inform buying decisions that they discuss in season 7, episode 1, Demystifying AI: Insights from Investing and Tech Experts, of the CES Tech Talk podcast series. Top Four Takeaways Nasdaq and CTA have partnered for 13-plus years creating thematic indexes for tracking key technologies. Nasdaq contributes index construction and financial expertise, while CTA offers research, innovation and themes know-how. Two Nasdaq-CTA indexes track AI. One is the Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Index™ (NQROBO™) designed to study the performance of companies engaged in the AI and robotics segments in the technology, industrial and other economic sectors. The second is the Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence Index™ (NQINTEL™); it monitors performance of companies in the AI segment of the tech, industrial, medical and other sectors. Bottom line on AI: It’s about collecting data and working with machines to capture and synthesize information. On a given day, about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated; that’s 2.5, followed by 18 zeroes. AI is uniquely designed to wrangle this volume of information. AI is more than the generative and large-language systems associated with ChatGPT, DALL-E and others that are becoming increasingly familiar to consumers. Businesses are using it to, for example, improve customer service. Consumers, particularly in tech and creative fields, are warming to it because it can help them get more done more quickly. They Said It "I'm seeing [AI] more as...a tool…and I really do think that it's going to touch everything. Like [James Kotecki] said, there's no internet companies anymore. Everything's kind of an internet company. I think AI has an application for every single company out there." Sara Mehle (21:44) "I do think when you bring up things like fear, and...think about AI...[it] is ostensibly a machine at the end of the day. So, when we think about, a computer can never be held accountable, which is something IBM was saying in the 1970s, similar to AI, where it comes down to how do we...develop AI more responsibly? And that's something that industry will work together to consider." Brian Comiskey (23:58) Sarah Mehle, Index Research Strategist, Nasdaq As research strategist for the Nasdaq Investment Intelligence group, Sara Mehle supports new and existing index products through original content that includes Nasdaq TradeTalks and webinars. Prior to joining the Index Research team in February 2022, Sara was a senior analyst for asset management research on the Nasdaq Dorsey Wright team specializing in technical analysis research. She has a B.S. degree in marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Brian Comiskey, Director, Thematic Programs, CTA Brian directs the thematic indexes developed and maintained by CTA and Nasdaq. Covering a variety of sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and robotics, Brian and his team manage a portfolio of 15 thematic indexes with 20 products tracking these indexes across listings in more than a dozen countries. Prior to joining CTA, Brian consulted for the United States Coast Guard on digital transformation and cybersecurity policy. He holds a B.A. degree in international relations from the College of William & Mary. Subscribe to CES Tech Talk Listen to what the industry’s thought leaders have to say about the tech industry and advancements that are changing consumers’ lives. Past episodes are available on demand. Get It Now