How financial intermediaries across five markets are using AI and whether they trust it

Artificial intelligence is changing how financial intermediaries do their jobs but how quickly that is happening, and what they are using it for, differs enormously depending on where you are in the world.

The latest research from Aureum Y, the research division of Fundamental Group, based on surveys of financial intermediaries across Australia, Germany, France, Italy and the UK, shows a clear split in how intermediaries across these five markets are adopting AI, how they check its outputs, and how much they trust it compared to other sources of information.

Some markets have embraced AI whilst others are holding back

The gap between Continental Europe and the UK and Australia is the first thing that stands out. More than a third of UK intermediaries surveyed (51%) said they do not use AI tools for client work at all. In Australia, a quarter (42%) said the same. In France, Germany and Italy, almost all intermediaries surveyed were using AI in some way.

Where intermediaries are using AI, the tasks vary by market.

French intermediaries are most likely to use it for tracking fund performance (47%) and understanding tax rules and regulations (42%). German intermediaries tend to use it for reviewing how client money is spread across different assets (34%) and keeping an eye on how funds are doing (34%). Italy had the most hands-on approach of all five markets: 48% of Italian intermediaries surveyed said they use AI to find specific investment products for clients, 46% use it to track fund performance, and 45% use it to weigh up investment risks. In the UK, where fewer intermediaries use AI at all, those who do tend to use it, use it for exploring tax reliefs (21%).

Nearly everyone double-checks what AI tells them

One consistent finding across all five markets is that intermediaries are not simply taking AI outputs at face value. Most go back to official reports and publications, or check the information against other financial websites, before using it with clients. In Germany, 46% of intermediaries surveyed said checking official sources was their main way of verifying AI information. In France, 55% said the same. Very few intermediaries admitted to not checking AI outputs at all - 7% in Australia, 7% in Germany and 3% in Italy. That points to a healthy level of professional caution across the board. Italy was the only market where checking internal company sources came in as a top three verification method (39%), suggesting Italian intermediaries are more likely to cross-reference AI with knowledge from within their own firms. Some respondents also described comparing outputs from multiple AI tools or going back to check figures personally when something didn’t look right, treating AI as a useful first step in their research rather than a definitive source.

AI is trusted but not unconditionally

When asked how reliable different sources of information are, intermediaries surveyed in four out of five markets ranked online investment platforms first and AI tools second. Financial influencers came last in every single market with 63% of UK intermediaries and 59% of French intermediaries rating them as extremely unreliable. However, Italy was the exception as it was the only market where AI tools ranked as the most trusted source of information, rating on a par with online investment platforms and ahead of all other sources. While the percentage of intermediaries rating AI as extremely reliable remains small, the fact that it came out on top at all sets Italy apart from every other market in the study.

Key takeaways:

• In France, Germany and especially Italy, AI has become a genuine part of how intermediaries work.
• It is used for meaningful tasks and trusted to a significant degree.
• In the UK and Australia, the technology is still finding its footing, with many intermediaries yet to bring it into their day-to-day work.

About Aureum Y

Aureum is Fundamental Group’s dedicated Research and Insights division, built on more than two decades of specialist experience in global investor research across individual, intermediary and institutional investor audiences. With extensive quantitative and qualitative capabilities, the team has delivered 250+ survey projects across 15+ audiences, managing a panel of 100k B2B professionals and tracking 3,600 media titles and 1,800 brands. Operating across 12 markets from four international offices, Aureum provides rigorous, culturally attuned insights that help asset management companies understand their audiences, refine their strategies and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. To access our flagship Global Brand Survey (GBS) insights contact [email protected] and follow us on LinkedIn to keep updated on the latest news.