Robots have been creeping into our homes, streets and cities – and soon they could be dominating our boardrooms.

In a world first, Japanese venture capital firm Deep Knowledge recently named an artificial intelligence (AI) to its board of directors.

The robot, named Vital, was chosen for its ability to pick up on market trends ‘not immediately obvious to humans’.

In a world first, Japanese venture capital firm, Deep Knowledge, recently named an artificial intelligence (AI) to its board of directors. The robot, named Vital, was chosen for its ability to pick up on market trends that are ‘not immediately obvious to humans’ (pictured is a stock image of a boardroom)

Vital is an ‘equal member’ of the Hong Kong-based group and the first ever software program to be appointed as a board member.

The robot was developed by Aging Analytics UK who have licensed it out to Deep Knowledge to help make business decisions on therapies for age-related diseases.

Vital (Validating Investment Tool for Advancing Life Sciences) will analyse trends in databases of life science companies in an effort to predict successful investments.

The bot has already helped make two major investment decisions in life science companies, Pathway Pharmaceuticals and InSilico Medicine.

Vital (Validating Investment Tool for Advancing Life Sciences) will analyse trends in databases of life science companies in an effort to predict successful investments. Eventually, the software is expected to get an equal vote on all financial decisions made by the company

The long-term goal is to get Vital’s intelligence to the stage where it can operate autonomously when making investment decisions.

Eventually, the software is expected to get an equal vote on all financial decisions made by the company.

‘The variables involved in the long-term success of a biotechnology company are many and complex,’ said Deep Knowledge in a statement.

‘We were attracted to a software tool that could in large part automate due diligence and use historical data-sets to uncover trends that are not immediately obvious to humans surveying top-line data.

‘We plan to incorporate new information from prospective investments into the databases to compare the outcomes against our selected investments.’