AI and Automation Propel New Wave of Active ETFs

Index trackers have long dominated ETFs, but a 2019 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule streamlined launches for qualifying active funds and opened the door to faster product development. With global ETF assets at $15.7 trillion, issuers are using artificial intelligence, semiconductors and space as themes to stand out, while automated creation and redemption workflows help scale increasingly complex portfolios. Investors can now access concentrated, frequently rebalanced strategies through the liquid and tax-efficient ETF wrapper.

U.S. ETFs drew a record $1.03 trillion of net inflows in the first half of 2026, with active products taking more than $403 billion, ETFGI said. Active ETF assets reached a record $2.5 trillion at the end of May, while June inflows totaled $74 billion. Within days of SpaceX’s June 12 listing, issuers launched 11 leveraged funds tied to the stock. Roundhill’s Memory ETF, ticker DRAM, amassed nearly $10 billion in its first 43 trading days, underscoring demand for AI infrastructure exposure.