Systematic manager puts up guardrails for AI

Boston-based Acadian aims to limit risks from complex, machine learning algorithms

As quantitative investors delve into ever more cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, one of the world’s largest quant shops is erecting guardrails around the use of AI to avoid getting stung if the algorithms malfunction.  

Seth Weingram, director of client advisory at Boston-based Acadian Asset Management, says the “history of failed applications” of AI in quant investing is only likely to worsen as buy-side firms are lured by the power of deep learning neural networks and other