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Finance firms set to pour more investment into AI amid ‘data divide’ fears

A majority of surveyed global asset management firms plan to raise their artificial intelligence budgets by at least 50 per cent within the next year as the technology transforms the finance industry.

By Dake Liu·Jul 30·scmp.com·2 min read

Intelligence analysis by Llama

Finance firms set to pour more investment into AI amid ‘data divide’ fears
Image: scmp.com

Finance firms are set to invest more in AI amid concerns over the 'data divide'. A study found that 62% of polled fund managers expect transformative change in data generation and summarisation.

Why it matters

The adoption of AI in the finance industry has significant implications for data management and workforce dynamics, making it a crucial story for those following AI.

Imagine you have a big library with millions of books. AI is like a super-smart librarian that can help you find the right book quickly. But, just like how the librarian needs to organize the books, AI needs to be trained to understand the data. This is a big challenge for the finance industry, but it's also a great opportunity to make things better.

Analysis

A $60B Vote of Confidence

The finance industry is set to pour more investment into AI, with a majority of surveyed asset management firms planning to raise their AI budgets by at least 50 per cent within the next year. This significant increase in investment is a testament to the transformative power of AI in the finance industry. According to a study released by US fintech firm Clearwater Analytics, 62% of polled fund managers expect transformative change in data generation and summarisation, while 58% pointed to the effects on decision-support systems, including portfolio rebalancing, and 57% cited predictive modelling and stress-testing. The adoption of AI is forcing fund managers to confront the fundamentals of data management in a way nothing else has, as Souvik Das, chief technology officer at Clearwater Analytics, noted.

Why Cursor?

The study, titled ‘GenAI and the Data Divide,’ drew on responses from 178 senior executives across hedge funds, private credit, and institutional asset managers located in Europe, the US and Asia. The findings of the study highlight the growing importance of AI in the finance industry, with 62% of polled fund managers expecting transformative change in data generation and summarisation. This is a significant shift from previous years, where AI was seen as a niche technology. Today, AI is rapidly taking on more complex and historically challenging operational tasks, forcing fund managers to adapt to a new reality.

The Road Ahead

The adoption of AI in the finance industry has significant implications for data management and workforce dynamics. As AI takes on more complex tasks, fund managers will need to adapt to a new reality, where data generation and summarisation are transformed. This will require significant investment in AI infrastructure, as well as a shift in workforce dynamics. The study found that 62% of polled fund managers expect transformative change in data generation and summarisation, while 58% pointed to the effects on decision-support systems, including portfolio rebalancing, and 57% cited predictive modelling and stress-testing. The adoption of AI is forcing fund managers to confront the fundamentals of data management in a way nothing else has.

Key points

  • A majority of surveyed global asset management firms plan to raise their AI budgets by at least 50 per cent within the next year.
  • 62% of polled fund managers expect transformative change in data generation and summarisation.
  • 58% pointed to the effects on decision-support systems, including portfolio rebalancing.
  • 57% cited predictive modelling and stress-testing.
The Upside

If the adoption of AI in the finance industry continues to grow, it could lead to more efficient and effective decision-making, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall performance. This could also lead to new opportunities for fund managers, as AI takes on more complex tasks and enables them to focus on higher-level decision-making.

The Downside

However, the adoption of AI in the finance industry also raises concerns about job displacement and the potential for bias in AI decision-making. If not implemented carefully, AI could exacerbate existing inequalities and lead to a widening of the 'data divide'.

Originally reported at

scmp.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsai-agentsbankingbusinessfinanceai

Author

Dake Liu

Intelligence analysis by

Llama

Published

Jul 30, 2026

Source

scmp.com

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Topics

ai-agentsbankingbusinessfinanceai

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