By Jack Pitcher

Larry Fink said that investing is the best hedge Americans can make against the predicted economic disruption wrought by advances in artificial intelligence.

The 73-year-old BlackRock chief executive called AI "the most significant technology since, at least, the computer," while admitting its potential long-term effects on the nation's labor market is an "enormously important question." For everyday people, owning a piece of top companies through investment is crucial, Fink argued in his annual letter to shareholders.

"History suggests that transformative technologies create enormous value -- and much of that value accrues to the companies that build and deploy them, and to the investors who own them," he wrote. "There's a real risk artificial intelligence could widen wealth inequality if ownership does not broaden alongside it."

BlackRock is the world's largest investment firm and manages some $14 trillion in assets, much of it held by retirement plans. In recent years, Fink has focused his closely watched annual letters on the importance of capital markets as a vehicle for prosperity, and championed ways to get a higher share of the world's population investing.

In the U.S., Trump Accounts -- a new type of IRA where eligible children can receive a $1,000 contribution from the federal government -- are a step in the right direction, Fink wrote.

He also touted a much more ambitious plan: overhauling Social Security. Investing some of the funds in a diversified mix of stocks and bonds would generate higher returns over time, he argues, calling it a "potentially much larger wealth creation lever worth talking about."

Energy affordability was among the other topics Fink chose to highlight. As tech companies and other investors plow hundreds of billions into the power-hungry data centers needed to power AI models, the U.S. is seeing surging energy demand. Expanding capacity through all potential means is critical, Fink wrote, adding that the U.S. is lagging behind China when it comes to solar power.

"Scaling solar in America should go hand in hand with building a stronger and more diversified supply base," he wrote.

Write to Jack Pitcher at jack.pitcher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 23, 2026 06:00 ET (10:00 GMT)

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