New research from Avaloq finds 93% of UK wealth management professionals expect AI to become integral to their work within the next two years, against 84% globally and 87% in the UK a year ago. Only a quarter (25%) say their clients are open to AI being used in investment decisions, compared with 42% globally.
Around a third (35%) say clients are open to AI for financial planning, below the 44% global average. Some 90% of UK professionals believe AI will benefit the industry, up from 82% in 2025.
The investor view is cooler. Just 43% of UK investors would be comfortable with AI assisting a human adviser, against 52% globally, and 48% would prefer no AI involvement in investment advice at all, versus 34% globally. Only 42% are comfortable with their bank or wealth manager using AI, compared with 50% globally.
Avaloq also pointed to its Wealth Management Index, launched earlier this year, which benchmarks 15 markets. Its technology and digital adoption pillar found the UK has room to strengthen its digital foundations compared with the US, Singapore and the UAE.
Suman Rao, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at Avaloq, said: “AI is rapidly moving from an emerging technology to something UK wealth management professionals expect to become a fundamental part of how they work.”
The Avaloq wealth insights 2026 report draws on two surveys of 4,256 affluent and high-net-worth investors and 480 wealth management professionals across 21 markets, fielded in February and March 2026. The UK sample was 400 investors and 40 professionals.
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