What are artificial intelligence ETFs?
Artificial intelligence ETFs own companies that design the chips, write the software and run the cloud services behind AI tools. Chip makers show up most often. Among the 15 largest funds, Nvidia is held by 11, Micron Technology by 10 and Advanced Micro Devices by 9. Alphabet appears in 10 and Amazon in 7. The memory and storage makers SK hynix and Western Digital appear in 6 and 5.
The funds differ more than their names suggest. Many follow an index. AIQ tracks the Indxx Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index, and XAIX tracks the Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Index. BAI, the largest, is actively managed, which means a manager picks the stocks. CHAT, AIS and AGIX also aim for growth without tracking an index. Concentration varies too. BOTZ leans on robotics and automation firms such as Keyence, ABB and Fanuc and keeps 60% of its money in its top 10 holdings. ROBT spreads across 116 stocks, with 19% in its top 10. Direxion's AIBU and AIBD use leverage, aiming for two times or minus two times their index's daily move, and GPTY uses options to generate income.
Costs vary widely. The median expense ratio (the yearly fee, taken as a share of assets) is 0.68%, the same as AIQ and BOTZ charge. XAIX and WISE charge 0.35%, the lowest in the group. AGIX charges 1.00%, and the costliest fund charges 1.32%. Among the five largest, ARTY costs the least at 0.47%.
Most of the money sits in a few funds. BAI, AIQ, ARTY, BOTZ and CHAT hold 83.1% of the roughly $38.8 billion invested across all 29 US-listed AI ETFs.
Artificial intelligence ETF holdings: the stocks most funds own
The stocks that show up most often among the largest positions of the 15 biggest artificial intelligence ETFs with holdings reports, from their latest N-PORT filings.
| Stock | Funds holding it | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp | 11 of 15 | 4.75% |
| Micron Technology Inc | 10 of 15 | 5.23% |
| Alphabet Inc | 10 of 15 | 3.44% |
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc | 9 of 15 | 3.68% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | 7 of 15 | 3.03% |
| SK hynix Inc | 6 of 15 | 3.8% |
| Broadcom Inc | 6 of 15 | 3.78% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | 5 of 15 | 3.85% |
| Marvell Technology, Inc. | 5 of 15 | 3.68% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 5 of 15 | 3.66% |
| Microsoft Corporation | 5 of 15 | 3.63% |
| Western Digital Corp | 5 of 15 | 3.21% |
Typical weight is the median share of each fund’s assets in the stock, among the funds that hold it in their 25 largest positions.
The largest artificial intelligence ETFs, side by side
Swipe the table to see all 5 funds.
| BAI | AIQ | ARTY | BOTZ | CHAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets | $12.96B | $10.17B | $3.93B | $3.44B | $1.78B |
| Expense ratio | 0.55% | 0.68% | 0.47% | 0.68% | 0.75% |
| Holdings | 51 | 94 | 61 | 67 | 47 |
| In the 10 largest | 47.27% | 32.44% | 42.82% | 60.06% | 39.27% |
| Biggest holding | SK hynix Inc (6.21%) | Palantir Technologies Inc. (4.12%) | Micron Technology, Inc. (5.38%) | Keyence Corporation (10.78%) | NVIDIA Corp (6.43%) |
| Yield | 1.5% | 0.08% | 0.06% | 0.54% | 2.07% |
| 1-year return | +8.0% | +20.0% | +43.4% | -11.9% | +24.9% |
| 3 years, a year | — | +35.5% | — | +14.8% | +48.7% |
| 5 years, a year | — | +15.5% | — | -1.5% | — |
| Worst drop, past year | -30.9% | -20.2% | -22.8% | -21.5% | -28.3% |
| Launched | 2024 | 2018 | 2018 | 2016 | 2023 |
The largest ordinary funds by net assets (leveraged and inverse funds are listed further down). Holdings from each fund’s latest N-PORT report; returns include reinvested distributions, as of Oct 30, 2026.
Head to head
BAI vs AIQ
BAI is actively managed and holds 51 stocks, with 47.3% in its top 10 and SK hynix the largest at 6.2%. AIQ tracks the Indxx Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index across 94 stocks, with 32.4% in its top 10, led by Palantir at 4.1%. About 30% of their assets overlap. BAI charges 0.55% and AIQ 0.68%. In the year to October 29, 2026, AIQ returned 20% and BAI 14%. BAI's worst drop from a peak was deeper, at 30.9% against 20.2%. BAI may suit investors comfortable with a manager's chip-heavy picks. AIQ may suit those wanting a wider index with a longer record.
AIQ vs BOTZ
Both come from Global X, but only 8.5% of their assets overlap. AIQ owns 94 software, internet and tech stocks such as Palantir, Microsoft, Oracle and SpaceX, with 32.4% in its top 10. BOTZ is narrower, with 60.1% in its top 10. It is led by Keyence at 10.8%, followed by Nvidia, ABB and Fanuc, which gives it a robotics and automation tilt. Both charge 0.68%. In the year to October 29, 2026, AIQ returned 20% while BOTZ lost 11.9%. Their worst drops were similar, at 20.2% and 21.5%. BOTZ may suit investors seeking robotics exposure, and AIQ those wanting a broader AI and software mix.
BAI vs ARTY
These two iShares funds share 36.6% of their assets. BAI is actively managed and has 51 holdings. ARTY tracks an index of US and non-US companies tied to generative AI, AI infrastructure, software and services, and has 61 holdings. Both lean on chips: SK hynix leads BAI at 6.2% and Micron leads ARTY at 5.4%. Their top 10s hold 47.3% and 42.8%. ARTY costs less, 0.47% against 0.55%. In the year to October 29, 2026, ARTY returned 43.4% and BAI 14%. ARTY's worst drop was smaller, at 22.8% against 30.9%. ARTY may suit investors who prefer an index, and BAI those wanting a manager's judgment.
How much do the largest artificial intelligence ETFs overlap?
Owning two funds that hold the same stocks adds little diversification. Overlap here is the share of assets two funds have in common: for each stock both own, the smaller of its two weights, added up.
| Funds | Assets in common | Shared holdings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTY and CHAT | 44.2% | 20 | |
| BAI and CHAT | 40.8% | 20 | |
| BAI and ARTY | 36.6% | 15 | |
| AIQ and CHAT | 34.2% | 21 | |
| BAI and AIQ | 30.2% | 17 | |
| AIQ and ARTY | 28.8% | 24 | |
| BOTZ and CHAT | 10% | 3 | |
| AIQ and BOTZ | 8.5% | 13 | |
| BAI and BOTZ | 8.1% | 3 | |
| ARTY and BOTZ | 4.4% | 13 |
From each fund’s full holdings in its latest N-PORT report.
How have artificial intelligence ETFs performed?
The five largest ordinary funds: growth from the start of the range, distributions reinvested. The dashed gray line is the S&P 500 (SPY).
Best-performing artificial intelligence ETFs over the past year
| # | Fund | Net assets | Cost | 1 mo | YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIS VistaShares Artificial Intelligence Supercycle ETF | $950.9M | 0.75% | -15.6% | +69.8% | +59.4% | — |
| 2 | AIVC Amplify Bloomberg AI Value Chain ETF | $126.5M | 0.59% | -6.6% | +60.3% | +53.6% | — |
| 3 | IGPT Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF | $1.11B | 0.57% | -11.7% | +53.6% | +49.3% | +43.8% |
| 4 | ARTY iShares Future AI & Tech ETF | $3.93B | 0.47% | -8.9% | +50.1% | +43.4% | — |
| 5 | THNQ ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF | $416.1M | 0.68% | -6.1% | +45.0% | +34.4% | +42.4% |
| 6 | AIFD TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF | $125.3M | 0.75% | -6.3% | +35.2% | +33.8% | — |
| 7 | XAIX Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Data ETF | $173.4M | 0.35% | -3.7% | +33.8% | +31.0% | — |
| 8 | LRNZ TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF | $41.9M | 0.68% | -6.1% | +36.7% | +29.8% | +33.8% |
| 9 | CHAT Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF | $1.78B | 0.75% | -12.7% | +37.7% | +24.9% | +48.7% |
| 10 | WTAI WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innovation… | $669.5M | 0.45% | -12.3% | +32.3% | +24.9% | +35.1% |
Funds with at least $25 million in net assets; leveraged and inverse funds left out. Past returns don’t predict future returns.
How artificial intelligence ETFs did in past market crashes
| Fund | 2008 crash | 2020 crash | 2022 drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAI | not yet launched | not yet launched | not yet launched |
| AIQ | not yet launched | -29.8% | -41.5% |
| ARTY | not yet launched | not yet launched | not yet launched |
| BOTZ | not yet launched | -32.1% | -50.0% |
| CHAT | not yet launched | not yet launched | not yet launched |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | -55.2% | -33.7% | -24.5% |
Total return from the stock market’s peak to its low in each fall, distributions reinvested.
What drives artificial intelligence ETFs?
Two kinds of company fill most of these funds. Chip and storage makers such as Nvidia, Micron, SK hynix and Western Digital depend on spending cycles. When large tech firms build data centers, orders and prices rise. When that spending pauses, both can fall quickly. Memory prices are especially prone to boom and bust. Software and internet firms such as Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon rely more on advertising, cloud and subscription revenue. Share prices across the group also react to interest rates, because much of their value rests on profits expected years ahead. They also react to government rules on exporting advanced chips.
Past downturns show how sensitive these funds can be. Among the five largest, only AIQ and BOTZ have records covering 2020 and 2022. In the 2020 COVID crash, AIQ fell 29.8% and BOTZ 32.1%, slightly less than the S&P 500's 33.7% drop. In the 2022 bear market they fell much further than the index: AIQ lost 41.5% and BOTZ 50%, against 24.5% for the S&P 500. None of the five largest has a record from the 2008 financial crisis, when the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
Artificial intelligence ETFs with the lowest expense ratios
| # | Fund | Expense ratio | On $10,000 | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | XAIX Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Dat… | 0.35% | $35 a year | $173.4M |
| 2 | WISE Themes Generative Artificial Intelligence ETF | 0.35% | $35 a year | $33.6M |
| 3 | AIVL WisdomTree U.S. AI Enhanced Value Fund | 0.38% | $38 a year | $416.3M |
| 4 | WTAI WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innova… | 0.45% | $45 a year | $669.5M |
| 5 | ARTY iShares Future AI & Tech ETF | 0.47% | $47 a year | $3.93B |
Ordinary funds with at least $10 million in net assets. The median ordinary artificial intelligence ETF charges 0.68% a year; leveraged and inverse funds usually charge more.
Do artificial intelligence ETFs pay dividends?
20 of the 27 ordinary artificial intelligence ETFs with a page here paid distributions over the last 12 months, with a median yield of 0.9%.
| Highest yields | Yield | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| GPTY YieldMax AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF | 15.29% | $101.7M |
| AIVI WisdomTree International AI Enhanced Value Fu… | 4.97% | $58.7M |
| WISE Themes Generative Artificial Intelligence ETF | 4.92% | $33.6M |
| CHAT Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF | 2.07% | $1.78B |
| BAI iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | 1.5% | $12.96B |
Distributions over the last 12 months divided by the price; funds with at least $25 million in net assets. Some of these yields come from selling options, which gives up some of the gains.
How to choose a artificial intelligence ETF
- Cost versus fund size. XAIX and WISE charge 0.35% a year but are small, with about $173 million and $34 million in assets. Among big funds, ARTY charges 0.47% and BAI 0.55%, while AIQ and BOTZ charge 0.68%. Smaller funds close more often.
- Index rules or a manager's picks. AIQ, ARTY, IGPT and XAIX follow published indexes. BAI, CHAT, AIS and AGIX aim for growth or total return without tracking an index, so results depend on the managers' stock choices rather than fixed rules.
- Which part of AI they own. BAI, ARTY and AIS lean on chip makers such as Micron and AMD. AIQ and THNQ hold more software. BOTZ favors robotics firms like Keyence and Fanuc. AIVL is a value fund holding Bank of America and Altria.
- Concentrated or spread out. BOTZ and IGPT keep about 60% in their top 10 holdings, and ALAI puts 12.25% in Nvidia alone. ROBT holds 116 stocks with about 19% in its top 10, so single stocks matter less.
- US-only or worldwide. ARTY's index includes US and non-US companies, and IGPT and XAIX follow global indexes from STOXX and Nasdaq. Holdings such as SK hynix, Samsung Electronics, Kioxia and Keyence trade abroad, adding currency swings. AIVL sticks to US stocks.
- Leveraged, inverse and option-income versions. AIBU aims for 2x and AIBD for -2x their index's daily move, resetting each day, so results over months can stray far from those multiples. GPTY is an option-income fund; such funds generally give up some gains for income.
What are the risks of artificial intelligence ETFs?
- The same chip stocks fill many funds. NVIDIA sits in 11 of the 15 funds with holdings data, Micron in 10 and AMD in 9. Owning two AI ETFs may add little variety. ARTY and CHAT overlap by 44.2%.
- Big bets on boom-and-bust memory chips. Memory makers lead several funds. SK hynix (7.94%) and Micron (7.18%) top AIS, and Micron, Samsung, Sandisk and Kioxia top WTAI. Memory chip prices have historically swung between shortages and gluts, which can hit profits fast.
- Sharp swings, even in strong years. As of October 29, 2026, AIS gained 59.4% over one year but fell 34.4% from peak to low along the way. BAI dropped 30.9%. Volatility, a gauge of price swings, was 49.9% for AIS and 45.8% for BAI.
- Deeper losses than the market in 2022. In the 2022 bear market (a fall of 20% or more), BOTZ fell 50% and AIQ fell 41.5%. The S&P 500 fell 24.5%. BAI and CHAT launched later, so they have no record from that slump.
- Leveraged, inverse and option-income versions. AIBU aims for 2x the daily move of AI and big data stocks, and AIBD aims for -2x. Held for months, their results can stray far from that. GPTY's 15.29% yield relies on selling options, which caps gains in rallies.
Leveraged and inverse artificial intelligence ETFs (2x)
These funds aim for a multiple, or the opposite, of one day’s return, and reset every day. Held for longer than a day, their results can drift far from that multiple, especially when prices swing. They are trading tools, not long-term holdings. Why leveraged ETFs decay →
List of all artificial intelligence ETFs, by size
| # | Fund | Net assets | Cost | Yield | YTD | 1 yr | 5 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAI iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | $12.96B | 0.55% | 1.5% | +17.9% | +8.0% | — |
| 2 | AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF | $10.17B | 0.68% | 0.08% | +25.2% | +20.0% | +15.5% |
| 3 | ARTY iShares Future AI & Tech ETF | $3.93B | 0.47% | 0.06% | +50.1% | +43.4% | — |
| 4 | BOTZ Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF | $3.44B | 0.68% | 0.54% | -7.5% | -11.9% | -1.5% |
| 5 | CHAT Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF | $1.78B | 0.75% | 2.07% | +37.7% | +24.9% | — |
| 6 | IGPT Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF | $1.11B | 0.57% | 0% | +53.6% | +49.3% | — |
| 7 | AIS VistaShares Artificial Intelligence Supercycle ETF | $950.9M | 0.75% | — | +69.8% | +59.4% | — |
| 8 | AGIX KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology … | $807.4M | 1% | 0.98% | +23.2% | +15.4% | — |
| 9 | ROBT First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence & Robo… | $729.9M | 0.65% | 0.02% | +13.0% | +3.6% | +1.7% |
| 10 | WTAI WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innovation… | $669.5M | 0.45% | 1.37% | +32.3% | +24.9% | — |
Questions investors ask about artificial intelligence ETFs
What is the largest artificial intelligence ETF?
The iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) is the largest, with $12.96 billion in net assets. It is actively managed, which means its managers pick the stocks instead of copying an index. It launched on October 21, 2024. Global X's AIQ is next at $10.17 billion. The five biggest funds (BAI, AIQ, ARTY, BOTZ and CHAT) hold 83.1% of the $38.82 billion invested across the group.
What is the cheapest AI ETF?
XAIX and WISE cost the least, each with an expense ratio of 0.35%. The expense ratio is the share of a fund's assets taken each year to pay its costs. XAIX, from Xtrackers, tracks the Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Index. AIVL (0.38%), WTAI (0.45%) and ARTY (0.47%) come next. ARTY is the cheapest of the five largest funds. The median fee in the group is 0.68%, and the highest is 1.32%.
BAI vs AIQ: what's the difference?
BAI is an actively managed fund that leans on chipmakers. AIQ is a broader index fund. BAI, from iShares, charges 0.55% and holds 51 stocks, with 47.27% in its top 10, led by SK hynix, Micron and Broadcom. AIQ tracks the Indxx Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index. It charges 0.68% and holds 94 stocks, led by Palantir, Microsoft and Oracle. The two share 17 holdings and overlap by 30.2%. Over the year to October 29, 2026, AIQ returned 20% and BAI 14%. BAI's worst drop was deeper: 30.9% against 20.2%.
Do AI ETFs pay dividends?
Most pay small ones. Of 27 AI ETFs with yield data, 20 paid dividends, and the median yield was 0.9%. CHAT yielded 2.07%, AIVL 1.46% and BAI 1.39%. AIQ (0.08%) and ARTY (0.06%) paid almost nothing. GPTY's 15.29% yield is a different case. It is an option-income fund that earns much of its payout by selling options, which limits its gains when stocks rise sharply. Most funds in this group aim for growth rather than income.
Which AI ETFs hold Nvidia?
Most of them do. NVIDIA appears in 11 of the 15 AI ETFs with detailed holdings data, at a median weight of 4.75%. ALAI holds the most, at 12.25% of the fund, followed by BOTZ at 9.64% and IGPT at 8.76%. CHAT holds 6.43% and BAI 5.02%. Because so many of these funds own NVIDIA, one big move in that single stock can push many of them up or down at once.
How many artificial intelligence ETFs are there?
There are 29 AI ETFs in this group, including two leveraged or inverse funds. Many are new. AGIX launched on July 18, 2024, XAIX on August 2, 2024, BAI on October 21, 2024 and AIS on December 3, 2024. Older funds include BOTZ, from September 12, 2016, and AIQ, from May 11, 2018. Their sizes vary widely, from BAI's $12.96 billion down to much smaller funds such as XAIX at $173.4 million and AIVC at $126.5 million.
What are leveraged AI ETFs like AIBU and AIBD?
AIBU and AIBD are Direxion funds. AIBU aims for twice the daily move of a basket of AI and big data stocks, and AIBD aims for twice the opposite move. Because they reset every day, returns over weeks or months can differ sharply from twice the basket's move, especially when markets bounce up and down. That makes them tools for short-term trades, not long-term holdings. Over the year to October 29, 2026, AIBU returned 7.3% and AIBD lost 27.7%.
Which AI ETF had the highest return over the last year?
AIS, the VistaShares Artificial Intelligence Supercycle ETF, led with a 59.4% price return over the year to October 29, 2026. AIVC (53.6%) and IGPT (49.3%) came next. The median fund gained 21.1%, and WISE did worst, losing 27.8%. The top funds also carried more risk. Of the 15 funds with detailed return data, AIS had the largest price swings and the deepest drop, falling 34.4% from peak to low. One strong year says little about the next.
Is there a Vanguard, Fidelity or Schwab artificial intelligence ETF?
No. None of the three offers a artificial intelligence ETF. The largest artificial intelligence ETFs come from iShares (BAI), Global X (AIQ) and iShares (ARTY), and customers of all three firms can buy other companies’ ETFs in their brokerage accounts. For a broader fund, VGT (Vanguard Information Technology ETF) and FTEC (Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF) are covered in our technology ETF guide.
