The AI Tasks Advisors Trust — And The Ones They Don't

The rise of artificial intelligence continues to accelerate, with relentless demand now deepening the global memory chip shortage. In addition, we now have the Federal Reserve actively tracking AI's contribution to GDP growth. And when it comes to the advisory office, AI is there too. What's less obvious, though, is how far advisors are willing to let it go. To get a better understanding of this, Advisor360° surveyed 300 U.S.-based financial advisors at RIAs, broker-dealers, and banks. What they found was less about resistance to AI, and more about boundaries — with advisors embracing the benefits while insisting on clear limits. The survey results showed that 74% of advisors say AI already helps their practice and overwhelming 93% of advisors say retaining control over decisions and advice when using AI tools is non-negotiable. That balance shows up in how AI is being used today. Advisors are comfortable letting it handle low-risk, time-consuming tasks like meeting summaries (31%), CRM updates (28%), client prep (26%), and routine communications (25%). In other words, AI is being deployed where mistakes are inconvenient, not catastrophic. Still, trust remains the gating factor. More than half of advisors (55%) cite compliance and regulatory hurdles as the primary reason they don't use AI more broadly, and 46% say they lack confidence in AI-generated outputs. What's notable is how advisors say trust could be earned. Peer-tested tools, compliance approval, and auditable logic matter more than promises of "smarter" AI. This mirrors how new investment strategies gain traction: proof first, marketing later. Advisors aren't rejecting AI — they're applying the same due diligence they expect clients to apply to them. There's also the interesting client-facing wrinkle. Even as AI becomes more embedded behind the scenes, most advisors aren't talking about it. Just 21% proactively mention using AI to clients, and nearly 30% avoid the topic altogether. That likely reflects generational dynamics as younger clients likely assume technology is already doing some of the work, while older clients may worry that AI means less human oversight, not more efficiency. For now, AI hasn't earned a seat at the decision-making table, but it's quietly improving efficiency while advisors decide when, and if, it's ready for a bigger role. Photo: Shutterstock