There are already PLENTY of programs that buy and sell stocks, futures, commodities, etc.

They have been operating for decades.

But they are mostly pattern matching. They can't THINK.

I don't expect the evolution of computers to be able to think. The evolution, in my mind is more towards automation. Recognizing things and being able to react in a semi intelligent way. Avoid obstacles. Obey basic sets of "laws". Perform X job. Think smart(er) industrial robots but on a smaller and cheaper scale.

The last steps we need are awareness. Stereo vision. Real time image processing. Enough processor power and battery power to handle all of this. It is coming sooner than you might think but I don't see SMART AIs hitting anytime in the next 10 years. Basic pattern recognition and working within a structured situation (like WoW) with a fixed set of variables is one thing. THINKING on your own with 5+ senses (people have more than 5 basic senses, think balance, etc) and stereo vision... robust pattern mapping.. everything that makes humans, well human... is a FAR cry from the next few iterations of computing. But give it a few decades. When computers are programmed how to learn instead of try to learn on their own. Whey you teach them the objective is to get to the flag in mario brothers and you let it figure out how to so do.... THAT is what will happen first. WoW is more complex but boils down to the same basic things. Resource management. Positioning. Movement in 3d space. Triggering actions appropriately. At first it will be crude, sure. But it will be pretty amazing how fast it gets going once it actually gets going. ESPECIALLY when there is profit motive. Do you think we made it to the moon because we just decided it make it happen? It was purely political. America had to beat the Russians. Profit can be just as compelling. Just look at Glide and what it can do. I have never even run it but I know it well enough to know that it and Inner Space can act and run almost like a real player. Sure, it is just a veneer and detectable but it amazes me how much it has progressed in only a few years.

WTB a computer program that can LEARN (evolve?) how to defeat Mario Brothers. Heck, just emulate it and let it go to town. Show it the flag and give it some basic instructions and let it figure it out. THAT will impress me and the scary part is how soon somebody will wind up doing that.

The future is a fantastic place.