Even as more investors use artificial intelligence to inform their financial and investment decisions, they still want a human touch.
That is one of several findings from a new survey commissioned by global bank HSBC, which found that many U.S. investors are embracing a hybrid approach that involves relying on AI for analysis and research, but turning to a human financial advisor for strategic expertise and reassurance.
"Clients are more informed and more confident because when they go into a meeting with their advisor they feel AI has given them the information to ask the right question," says Racquel Oden, head of international wealth management and private banking, U.S. at HSBC. "But trust still sits with the human being."
Investment ideas are also more likely to come from a human being than AI, according to the survey. Fifty-nine percent of U.S. respondents said their last investment idea came from a financial professional. That compares to 19% who cited AI.
Oden says advisors can also help investors cut through the noise. "We live in a society of data overload," she says. "You need a professional to help you navigate this problem. And all the data we are getting is adding to the complexity of our lives."
She adds, "Information is not advice."
Young investors are embracing AI to a far greater degree than older investors. The HSBC survey found that 63% of Gen Z and millennial investors say AI has boosted their confidence and decision-making compared with just 31% of Gen X and baby boomer investors.
There is also a divide between U.S. investors and their global peers: 57% of affluent investors in the U.S. report using AI for financial and investment tasks compared with 73% of affluent investors globally, according to the survey. Oden notes an interesting dichotomy: Many of the best known artificial intelligence companies are based in the U.S., but when it comes to using AI for financial and investment tasks, American investors are lagging behind their global peers.
The HSBC study surveyed about 10,000 affluent and high-net-worth individual investors in 10 markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.A.E., the U.K. and the U.S. It defines affluent investors as individuals with at least $100,000 in investible assets and high-net-worth investors as individuals with at least $2 million in investible assets.
Write to Andrew Welsch at andrew.welsch@barrons.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 24, 2026 15:45 ET (19:45 GMT)
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