Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the advisory profession by redefining where financial advisors deliver the most value, according to new research from wealthtech provider Advisor360°™. Today’s advisors overwhelmingly view AI as a catalyst for growth and evolution as they focus on personalized client experience—in fact, 90% believe those who lean into “softer” skills and services will succeed over the next decade.
Advisor360°’s 2026 Connected Wealth Report reveals that 90% of financial advisors do not believe AI will make their role obsolete within the next 10 years. Sixty-nine percent say advisors will remain essential—though their responsibilities will evolve—while 21% expect advisor headcounts to shrink due to AI. Just 8% believe AI will make the profession obsolete.
Advisors already see AI as a growth engine: 90% are interested in using AI tools to expand their service offerings, with top use cases being tax planning (48%), model creation (47%), and retirement income planning (45%).
An overwhelming 92% of advisors say clients increasingly expect a more holistic, multi-faceted financial planning experience—one that extends beyond investments.
As AI enables advisors to expand their capabilities and deliver more holistic guidance, they expect a shift in what will attract and retain clients. Emotional intelligence and empathy (53%), followed closely by communication and client coaching (51%), ranked highest among the qualities advisors expect will matter most in the future.
In contrast, technical skills such as AI tool management and data interpretation ranked lower. Advisors predict the future of the business will center on managing client relationships and life transitions, delivering highly personalized guidance, and providing holistic wealth planning.
“Advisors believe AI has the potential to help them do more for clients—not less,” said Jason Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at Advisor360°. “Historically, expanding services meant adding headcount or stretching resources thin. With AI-enabled intelligence embedded into the advisor workday, they can deliver more sophisticated guidance without sacrificing quality.”
AI Resets Expectations Around Digital Transformation
Rising expectations about what technology should be able to do are revealing gaps in many firms’ current infrastructure. Advisors want platforms that anticipate their needs, streamline compliance, and enhance client interactions. In fact, for the first time in four years of Connected Wealth Report surveys, overall satisfaction with firm technology has declined.
Nearly two-thirds of advisors (66%) say their firm’s technology needs improvement, up from 50% last year. Those describing their technology as “state of the art” dropped from 35% to 28%. The primary complaints about their current setups are a lack of AI-enabled capabilities (39%) and limited integration among tools (37%).
“The industry hasn’t necessarily fallen behind—AI has moved the goalposts,” Quinn said. “Advisors want connected platforms that think, adapt, and evolve as their business grows. Digital transformation is no longer about digitization—it’s about elevating the advisor experience.”
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