BlackRock Has Built an AI Analyst, ‘Asimov,’ to Scour Filings

BlackRock Inc. is planning for artificial intelligence to have a much bigger role in investing.

The world’s largest asset manager has built an AI research platform dubbed “Asimov” and is using it now in the firm’s fundamental equity business, Chief Operating Officer Rob Goldstein said Thursday at the firm’s investor day in New York.

“This is a virtual investment analyst,” Goldstein said. “While everyone else is sleeping at night, we have these virtual AI agents that are scanning research notes, company filings, emails, to generate portfolio insights.”

Goldstein said that he expects by the next investor day — the last ...