New research reveals an AI revolution reshaping the investment sector with a group of pacesetting firms charting the roadmap for success

A comprehensive new global study of the wealth and asset management industry by ThoughtLab, a leading research firm—in collaboration with FNZ, ServiceNow, Amazon Web Services, LSEG, Publicis Sapient, and the Grant Thornton Advisors LLC multi-national platform and the Grant Thornton International Limited Network—reveals that an AI revolution is underway in the industry, transforming how firms operate, serve clients, and generate value.

The research found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of wealth and asset management executives surveyed believe that AI is critical for the future of their businesses, and close to two-thirds (63%) think that AI will revolutionize the wealth and asset management sector.

The study, titled The AI-Powered Investment Firm: An AI playbook for wealth and asset management firms in the agentic era, draws insights from 500 financial institutions across 16 world markets and features analysis from industry executives and AI experts. Its findings show that AI is already impacting every part of the wealth and asset value chain from the back to the front office.

In the front office, over half of firms currently leverage AI for customer analytics and self-service portals, while almost as many create highly customized products for individual clients. In the middle office, firms now use AI to automate compliance checks and to detect and respond to potential security threats and fraud in real-time. And in the back-office, they use it to write code and optimize business processes.

Helping advisors focus on client relationships

The study further found a rapid rise in the use of GenAI, which is expected to nearly double from 37% of investment providers now to 71% over the next three years. While use of agentic AI is just starting in many firms, the study found that it will also double in usage during that period. Firms are using generative and agentic AI particularly to support investment advisors and planners, enabling them to save hours weekly.

More than half say they now use GenAI to automate tasks such as writing meeting notes, creating personalized client communications, and summarizing complex documents. Over the next three years, executives expect the division of labor between humans and machines to shift even more, with AI handling repetitive activities, including client onboarding, client administration, and transaction execution. This shift will enable advisors to focus on what they do best: draw on their human skills to provide better investment advice and personal support.

“AI’s evolution into an autonomous collaborator will redefine the very nature of investment management,” said Lou Celi, CEO of ThoughtLab and program director for the study. “Our research shows that AI will not just augment human capability, but it will become a strategic partner driving performance, personalization, and productivity.”

Challenges to realizing AI’s full potential

The study also reveals common challenges faced by wealth and asset management firms seeking to unlock the benefits of AI technologies. These include cultural barriers to change and innovation, AI talent shortages, and insufficient data foundations for integration. In addition, the study found that complex operations, legacy systems integrations, and a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape have contributed to slower implementation for some wealth and asset management firms.

AI leaders set the standard for transformation

The study identified a group of early adopters that are far ahead of their peers in achieving measurable results from AI, providing a roadmap for others to follow. These AI leaders excel in five critical areas:

1. Create an AI vision and culture to inspire change: Develop an effective AI strategy and build an innovation culture that encourages staff to experiment with AI.
2. Build an AI-ready IT and data platform: Implement a modern cloud-based IT platform that facilitates AI adoption and cleanse, integrate, and optimize data to support AI.
3. Install a robust AI governance, risk, and regulatory framework: Establish strong guardrails, risk management, and compliance policies for the responsible use of AI.
4. Prepare for the future of work: Develop and acquire AI talent and skills for a future in which people will work with AI in new ways that will hugely boost human productivity.
5. Rethink business for the agentic era: Move from automating and optimizing workflows to reinventing them through agentic AI to take on tasks that were not possible in the past.

“As many firms have learned the hard way, investing in AI does not automatically drive results. Companies need to have the technological, governance, and organizational foundation in place to succeed, together with a clear vision of where people will add the most value,” said ThoughtLab’s Celi.

The full study findings, actionable insights, and related decision-support tools can be found here.

About ThoughtLab

ThoughtLab is an innovative thought leadership firm that provides fresh ideas and rigorous analysis to help business and government leaders cope with transformative change. ThoughtLab specializes in assessing the impact of technology on industries, cities, and markets. ThoughtLab’s services include fielding business, consumer, investor, and government surveys; organizing executive interviews, meetings, and advisory groups; conducting economic modeling, benchmarking, and performance analysis; and developing white papers, eBooks, and customer-facing analytical tools.

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“AI’s evolution into an autonomous collaborator will redefine the very nature of investment management,” said Lou Celi, CEO of ThoughtLab and program director for the study.