AI is a tool not a threat, top financial advisers insist

Leading financial advisers weigh in on whether artificial intelligence will help or hinder the profession and the quality of advice people receive.

Staff reporters

AI is a tool rather than a threat to the financial advice industry, top advisers say. Picture: iStock

2 min read

5:00AMDecember 01, 2025

The Australian Business Network

Financial advisers have rejected fears artificial intelligence will replace them, insisting technology cannot replicate the personal relationships that underpin quality advice.

Here’s how leading financial experts from Barron’s Top 150 Financial Advisers 2025 believe AI will impact the advice industry.

Andrew Dunbar – Apt Wealth Partners

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a replacement for human empathy and judgment.

Advice isn’t just about numbers – it’s about understanding goals, fears, and values.

I see AI as an assistant, not a threat. It can help us deliver better, faster service, but the human connection remains irreplaceable.

I’m hopeful AI will allow access to basic scaled-advice issues that currently prove hard for Australians to access, given the complex regulatory environment.

Chris Smith – VISIS Private Wealth

AI is going to support practitioners in our work. I think that to some extent, AI will improve the lives of some as they interact and ask questions and develop knowledge.

I cannot see to what extent AI will ever replace good advice.

We have seen examples of the knowledge from AI being inaccurate.

More to the point, I think the real value comes from knowing what questions to ask, and asking a human: “Should I do it? Why should I do it? Why is this the best choice for me? What happens if it goes wrong? When can it go wrong? What else should I consider? How important are the other considerations?”

I think a lot of knowledge has been around for a long time. AI has accelerated how quickly you can get an answer.

Experience and wisdom are two things that AI hasn’t proven to have mastered quite yet.

Applying all of this knowledge to a client that you have a personal and trust-based relationship which is extremely valuable to our clients.

Amanda Fong – Escala Partners

I am not worried (about the impact of AI); it is my view that AI will strengthen the advice business.

While AI can make financial information more accessible, prudent advice is built on empathy, trust and human connection.

Clients are not just looking for data or forecasts; they seek understanding, reassurance and a trusted partner who understands and respects their goals and circumstances.

AI will be a valuable tool that enhances an adviser’s capabilities, improving efficiency, precision and access to insights.

AI will never replace the personal relationships which underpin quality advice.

Laurel Moulynox – Morrows Private Wealth

I see AI as a tool, not a threat. It will never replace the deep, personal relationships we build with clients.

Technology can help improve efficiency, analyse data faster and make advice more accessible for simpler decisions, and that’s a good thing.

But what it can’t do is offer empathy, understanding, or the kind of guidance and support clients need during times of crisis, stress or major life decisions. Those moments require trust, patience and human connection.

For me, AI is a business tool that can enhance the advice process, but the face-to-face relationship between adviser and client will always remain at the heart of what we do, and that’s our true point of difference.