70% of Advisers Already Use AI Tools, per Survey

New products for financial service professionals are released every week, but the industry is showing an intense need for artificial intelligence tools. According to fixed-income platform InspereX’s survey, Investment Strategies for Volatile Markets, 70% of surveyed advisers said they were already using at least one AI tool in their practice, and 78% said colleagues who do not adopt AI in their practice in the next three to five years will be at a competitive disadvantage.

Earlier this month, Anthropic released 10 agent templates for financial service professionals, designed to automate what the company described as the most common forms of financial work. The agents included research and client coverage assistance such as a pitch builder, meeting preparer and earnings reviewer, along with agents for finance and operations, such as a valuation reviewer and statement auditor.

InspereX’s respondents, asked when AI was most useful, most often said efficiency gains (74%), client communication and follow-up (73%), and meeting preparation and documentation (72%).

However, when it came to tasks advisers would never delegate to AI, 26% said product selection, 23% said portfolio recommendations, and 20% said suitability-related analysis.

“Advisers who embrace AI are positioning themselves for growth and long-term success, while those who are slower to adopt new tools risk being left behind,” said Chris Mee, InspereX’s managing director, in a statement accompanying the survey results. “Greater adoption and broader usage will help them in the long run to deepen client relationships and deliver that human touch and expertise that creates investor confidence.”

Investor Attitude Toward AI

Investors, meanwhile, are also developing confidence in the effects of AI, as 61% of those recently surveyed by Janus Henderson said they expected the technology to make a positive long-term impact on markets. According to the asset manager’s 2026 Investor Survey, Perspectives on AI: Trust, Transparency and Cautious Optimism, 87% of respondents said they would feel “good” or “neutral” about their financial adviser using AI to create educational resources for them.

The most-cited barriers to using AI in investments, according to investors surveyed, included biases or conflicted recommendations (75%), data privacy or security (74%) and preference for traditional methods, such as personal research (73%).

When it came to investors’ expectations, Janus Henderson found that 85% of investors surveyed wanted transparency and accountability from advisers who used AI, and 79% of respondents said they would be upset if their adviser used AI without disclosing it.

“The industry faces challenges when it comes to using AI for advice, client communications and investments,” said Matt Sommer, head of Janus Henderson’s specialist consulting group, in a statement. “While it has the potential to be a valuable tool for advisory practices, advisers will need to deploy AI in a strategic, thoughtful manner.”

Red Zone Marketing conducted the InspereX survey of 783 financial advisers who work at independent broker/dealers, registered investment advisers, banks and regional firms from March 27 through April 7.

Janus Henderson’s survey was conducted from March 5 through 24 by marketing consultancy 8 Acre Perspective among 1,000 U.S. investors with at least $250,000 in investable assets.