78% Now Use AI for Investment Information, BridgeWise Global Study Finds

Inaugural “State of AI for Wealth” report reveals:

• 78.3% of global respondents now use AI for investment information, but UK adoption lags behind peers
• 33% of UK respondents say they never use AI for investment queries, versus 21% globally
• 57% of UK respondents plan to replace parts of their research with AI, compared with 65.1% globally

London, April 16, 2026 - BridgeWise, the leading wealth AI provider, announced today the release of its inaugural State of AI for Wealth in 2026 report, a global study of 2,100 respondents across 19 countries. The research confirms that AI adoption has passed a definitive tipping point, with 78.3% of respondents globally already using AI tools for investment-related queries, with nearly half (45.7%) emerging as power users, consulting AI “always” or “often” when seeking investment information.

The data reveals a redrawn global map where institutions in even the most highly regulated financial markets must move quickly to keep pace with existing demand and user expectations.

The Global AI Optimism Index: Regional Outlooks on Wealth AI

The report also introduces the Global Wealth AI Optimism Index, a proprietary benchmark that evaluates the 19 included countries through four weighted pillars: Adoption (AI usage frequency), Confidence (trust in AI accuracy), Edge (perceived competitive advantage when using AI for investing), and Momentum (intent to replace traditional investment research with AI).

The Middle East emerged as the top-ranked region globally, coming ahead of APAC, North America, and Europe in both current adoption rates and future momentum. LATAM also outperformed these established markets, ranking first in the world for reported confidence and the belief that AI provides a definitive strategic "edge."

The "Untapped Believers"

The data from the landmark study further identifies a significant market opportunity among what it terms the "Untapped Believers." Approximately 29.3% of respondents who currently do not use AI for investment research report that they already trust its accuracy. This finding suggests that for a large segment of the market, the primary barrier to entry is a lack of accessible tools and clear entry points within the wealth ecosystem rather than fundamental skepticism.

AI-Powered Investing and the Gender Divide

From a demographic perspective, women were found to represent 62.1% of those who have never used AI for investment information and 66.7% of those with no confidence in its accuracy. Men report confidence in AI at 81.7%, compared with 70.6% among women. Among those who believe AI gives a competitive investment edge, 60% are men and 40% are women. As AI becomes the default research tool for global investors, the data points to a widening divide in confidence in the infrastructure shaping financial outcomes.

The Great Research Migration

Looking ahead, the State of AI for Wealth in 2026 identifies a "Great Research Migration," as 65.1% of respondents indicate they are likely to replace manual investment research with AI-driven tools in the coming year. This shift is particularly pronounced among younger users, with 57.8% of respondents aged 18-35 already identifying as frequent AI users compared to only 26.9% of those over age 50.

BridgeWise CEO Gaby Diamant commented: "The competitive divide in the wealth space will no longer run between humans and machines. It will run between those who have access to specialized, wealth-native intelligence that surfaces opportunities invisible to generic AI engines, and those still navigating an increasingly complex global market with tools that were not built for it. The data from this study confirms the demand is already there. The mandate now is to meet it with AI that is explainable, accurate, and purpose-built for finance from the ground up."

You can download the report here: https://lp.bridgewise.com/state-of-ai-for-wealth-2026

About the Report

The State of AI for Wealth in 2026 is based on a global study of 2,100 respondents across 19 countries, with equal male and female participation. Respondents are employed adults with active bank accounts aged 18 to 75, spanning North America, Europe, APAC, LATAM, and the Middle East.

About BridgeWise

BridgeWise is the global leader in AI for wealth, transforming how investors and institutions access and act on financial insights. Using regulatory-compliant, transparent AI to power equity and fund analysis, multilingual tools, and even AI chat for investments, BridgeWise provides trusted investment intelligence to over 100 institutional clients and 35 million end users across more than 15 languages. With offices in Japan, Singapore, the US, London, Brazil, Thailand, Israel, and Dubai, BridgeWise partners with leading global institutions including Japan Exchange Group, S&P Global Market Intelligence, SIX, B3, eToro, TASE, and Rakuten Securities.