Can AI Automate Your Trading Strategy? (Jeff Just Did)

AI has been called a game changer across industries — from medicine to manufacturing. And in the world of financial markets, it’s now opening doors that were once locked to anyone who couldn’t code.

At CLiK, one of our instructors — Jeff Sonnier — recently proved just how far this shift has come. He took his well-defined trading rules and turned them into an AI automated trading system / strategy inside TradeStation. The twist? He has no background in programming.

CLiK instructor Jeff Sonnier demonstrates how AI has revolutionized his trading strategy through automation, eliminating the need for coding expertise.

From strategy to automation — with detailed guidance

Jeff has a structured, disciplined trading method. He wanted it automated — not to change the rules, but to make execution faster, consistent, and free from emotion.

Traditionally, that would mean months of learning to code, or paying a developer. Instead, Jeff used Grok, a large language model (LLM).

Here’s the important part: it wasn’t “push a button and done.”

Jeff had to carefully spell out his rules in detail — step by step, condition by condition. He explained his process in plain English, but with the same precision he uses when teaching in class.

Grok then converted those instructions into TradeStation EasyLanguage code. The result? Working automation — without Jeff ever writing raw code.

Why this matters for traders

AI is lowering barriers that once kept automation out of reach. For the first time:

• Traders without coding experience can turn their rules into automation.

• Clear, detailed instructions in plain English can become functioning scripts.

• Tested strategies can be executed consistently, logged, and scaled.

• Algo-trading is no longer a “quants only” game.

But the detail matters: vague rules lead to vague code. The better you can define your process, the better AI can help automate it.

The Pros and Cons of AI Automation Trading Strategy

✅ Pros:

• Accessibility: Coding background no longer required.

• Consistency: Eliminates hesitation and human fatigue.

• Efficiency: Executes trades and logs them automatically.

• Scalability: Monitors multiple markets at once.

⚠️ Cons:

• Precision required: You must provide clear, detailed instructions.

• No strategy fix: AI can’t make a bad system good.

• Supervision needed: Automated systems still require monitoring and safeguards.

• Testing essential: Code must be validated before going live.

The bigger picture

AI isn’t a silver bullet. It doesn’t replace trading skill or discipline.

But as Jeff’s experience shows, it’s a true game changer. By combining his expertise with detailed instructions, he was able to bridge the gap between trader and programmer — turning his process into automation without touching a coding textbook.

That’s the shift we’re living through: automation is no longer reserved for coders. It’s available to any trader with a clear strategy and the discipline to define it.

AI-driven algorithm analyses market data for automating trading strategies.

Real Traders. Real Support. Real Results.

At CLiK, we don’t hype shortcuts. We teach traders to build strong processes — and now, how to use AI to bring those processes to life.