By Jonathan Chevreau on July 17, 2026 Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

AI for conservative investors

By Jonathan Chevreau on July 17, 2026 Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Artificial intelligence is transforming markets, but retirees should approach the AI investing theme with caution and a well-diversified portfolio.

In the minds of investors young and old, artificial intelligence (AI) is an investing theme or trend that seems to be right up there with the birth of the internet and the dot-com craze, or indeed the long-ago Industrial Revolution. But over the last 12 months, according to a recent webinar on the topic, market reaction to AI seems to have morphed from enthusiasm about an “unstoppable trend” to fear of the imminent bursting of an alleged “AI bubble.”

Our old friends, fear and greed, loom large here. Clearly, greed is uppermost to the extent AI is perceived as the next gold rush. If new AI IPOs result in quick doubles or more, who would not want to participate in such a wealth-creation event? Meanwhile, fear manifests in two ways. Most investors with significant allocation to stocks as an asset class naturally fear a crash in the stock market, especially after the kind of upward moves we’ve seen in the past year or two. But there is also so-called FOMO, or the fear of missing out on some hot innovation that promises untold riches down the line. AI seems to epitomize both varieties of fear (although you could argue FOMO is just another manifestation of greed).

From where I sit, well into registered retirement income fund (RRIF) age, AI is a theme that young investors have little choice but to embrace, at least in part. Growth is the preferred strategy for those just starting out on their investing careers, particularly for tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs). And if any transformative innovation seems poised for major growth in the long term, it seems to be AI.

But for those in the retirement risk zone—perhaps including you, dear reader!—there is potential danger in jumping whole hog onto the AI bandwagon. While AI should not be ignored as a key growth play for the ”satellite” or “explore” portion of a portfolio, I’d be wary of building the core of a well-diversified global portfolio around AI.

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