Public rolls out AI agents to automate trading strategies

Public has begun rolling out AI agents that let investors automate portfolio strategies and trades. The feature is live for select members on the brokerage platform.

Users can create agents that monitor markets, move money and execute trades based on instructions entered in natural language. The tools can support trading strategies, cash management and risk management, with follow-up prompts to refine timing, triggers and other conditions before activation.

Public is framing the launch as a shift from manual trading toward automated instructions. Instead of placing orders one by one through an app or website, investors set rules for the system to follow inside their brokerage account.

Examples include generating USD $5,000 a month in covered call premiums, buying same-day call and put options if the SPY exchange-traded fund falls more than 1% in the first 30 minutes of trading, and sweeping excess cash from a current account into a direct index when the balance rises above USD $20,000.

Investors can view trading history and logs of each action taken by an agent. They can also pause, stop or edit workflows at any time.

How it works

Public says the AI asks follow-up questions before taking any action so a full workflow can be mapped out. The user then reviews the logic and activates the agent once the conditions are set.

The agents operate entirely within Public's platform rather than accessing the wider internet. The design keeps actions inside an authenticated environment tied to the investor's account.

Public has previously introduced AI tools on its brokerage platform. The new launch expands those tools from information and research features into direct execution of investor-defined actions.

Retail focus

The launch targets retail investors who want to automate strategies without building software or constantly watching markets. The product is designed to translate investor intent into rules that can be carried out automatically.

"Every investor has ideas and strategies in their heads, but executing them used to require being glued to a screen all day, waiting for the right moment to act," said Jannick Malling, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Public.

"Agents not only automate strategies for retail investors; they help translate their intent into action," added Malling.

Founded in 2019, Public offers access to asset classes including stocks, bonds, crypto and options. It says it has been entrusted with billions of dollars in client assets and has raised more than USD $400 million from investors including Accel and Tiger Global.

The rollout begins with select members, indicating a phased release before broader availability across the platform.