Many believe AI is going to change every aspect of life, but it’s very close to hitting peak “Marmite” status – you either love it and embrace it wholeheartedly, or you hate it and prefer not to engage.
Whether the mania will end up being relatively short-lived (in the grand scheme of things) or is here to stay (in some form) is yet to be seen. As it stands, with a healthy dose of human intellect, AI is transforming businesses.
Research suggests 60% of financial advice firms are using AI in some form
According to research, the number of financial advice firms using AI has doubled in the last 12 months – increasing from 29% in 2025 to 60% today.
Meanwhile, another survey found that around 80% of retail investors globally say they use AI to support their investment research.
You may be inclined to pooh-pooh the statistics, but studies also reveal that more than half of people who use AI said they’re very confident in its guidance, and even those who’ve never used it say they’d be confident in it.
3 areas of financial planning where AI can play a useful role
A growing number of financial advisers view AI as an important part of their operations. Here are three areas it can prove helpful.
1. Data gathering and analysis
Tasks involving account data, risk profiling, and market research are ideal to delegate to an appropriate AI model. With the right systems in place, AI can automate and scale potentially time-consuming work with speed and a high degree of accuracy.
Because the jobs are primarily administrative, and typically take place in the back office, using AI in this way has little impact on clients.
The key upside is that this kind of automation typically frees up more time – meaning advisers can focus on servicing clients and developing stronger relationships.
2. Creating portfolios and rebalancing investments
While not always appropriate, some advisers may use AI to help decide on asset allocation when constructing client investment portfolios. With algorithms already commonplace, AI can sometimes outperform a human adviser or paraplanner – particularly when measuring efficiency.
We would never leave all decision-making to AI. As is so often the case, human oversight is likely to remain essential to protect clients’ long-term financial wellbeing.
Here at Ascenta, we’re committed to ensuring your wealth is invested with as much care and diligence as our own, and that of our friends and family – which doesn’t leave a lot of room for AI to get in the way.
3. Financial planning simulations
If you’re working with us, there’s a strong chance you’ve already benefited from seeing your financial future mapped out with cashflow modelling software.
Cashflow modelling is one of the earliest examples of AI in financial planning. In fact, AI was several decades away from entering the daily lexicon when cashflow planning software was first launched in the 1980s.
Because cashflow models are only as good as the data you input, an adviser remains an essential component, even though smart, well-programmed AI can be used to create and update personal plans. We can interpret the data and explain the findings to help you take appropriate steps to ensure you’re on track to meet your goals.
When it comes to financial advice, human empathy is key to success
Nothing can replace the personal touch of working with a human financial planner, but a highly qualified adviser with some limited support from AI could be the way forward.
A sentiment many appear to agree with.
A survey in 2025 involving 800 UK adults found that 40% of participants would only trust a human adviser to manage their investments, compared with just 6% who would be happy to use an AI platform.
Although 34% of participants were open to human advisers using AI tools, respondents repeatedly expressed a strong desire to speak to a person or meet face to face when navigating complex financial decisions.
At Ascenta, while we use AI technology to ease some repetitive tasks in our back-office processes, you can be assured that your real-life human adviser is here for the long term – we’re not expecting to be replaced by robots anytime soon!
If you’d like to meet and speak with a human financial adviser to learn more about how we can help you create a life you love by making smarter decisions with your money, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
