Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of ARK Invest, says that embodied AI in healthcare is “one of the most profound applications of AI” and will be at the heart of the productivity and innovation boom in the coming years. Wood told CNBC in an exclusive interview that ARK, which invests in opportunities in disruptive technology, is now focused on pure innovation efforts. These span robotics, energy storage, AI, blockchain technology, and multi-omic sequencing “particularly” in healthcare, which Wood says are “the most undervalued and underappreciated” of all investment themes. Multi-omic sequencing in medicine involves integrating genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and other biological data to improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis and better personalize treatment. “Those are our five key areas. They involve 15 technologies, and we think they’re converging to create a truly explosive growth opportunity,” he told CNBC on the sidelines of the 9th Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. In a wide-ranging interview, Wood said he doesn’t believe an AI bubble exists, but acknowledged that “of course” there would be a correction. Watched investors expect the rising interest rate environment to be a “reality check” for the market, but stressed the importance of a long-term investment horizon as growth in the sector accelerates. “I know that many people are worried about the AI hype, but I think this investment will pay off in the future, especially as we look to embodied AI (to completely transform the world of robotaxis and transportation, and perhaps one of the most profound applications of AI: healthcare).” He also praised US President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly on taxation, manufacturing, deregulation, etc., and said they will help fuel a “productivity-driven boom.” “We think this will accelerate innovation in a way that people don’t understand right now,” Wood said. “We have a crypto and AI czar, and we haven’t had that before. They are focusing on business-friendly policies and attracting more foreign direct investment into the U.S., especially in manufacturing.” ARK Invest manages assets through both actively managed ETFs and the ARK Venture Fund, which invests in public and private companies. The company is up more than 50% since the beginning of the year.
