Never mind whether there is a lot of hype about AI – a survey of UK asset managers suggests its adoption is accelerating and deepening.

A study of 100 senior asset management professionals in the UK finds that 70 per cent of them have put AI to work in some way – surging from 33 per cent doing so last year.

The survey found that 22 per cent of respondents said they were using AI broadly, and 16 per cent said it was fully integrated into core business processes. Only 5 per cent are not considering adopting artificial intelligence.

The findings, from FE fundinfo, a financial data company, add fuel to the debate on how AI use cases and adoption is accelerating. (See articles here, here and here on what uses cases exist and how AI is being employed.) The results appear in the FE fundinfo’s 2025 Asset Managers Report.

Elsewhere, the report showed that 53 per cent of asset managers identify technological disruption, including the rise of AI, and increased competition as the most pressing threats facing the profession. These forces are overtaking regulatory changes, which was the dominant concern when the same question was put in 2024.

Regulatory compliance concerns dropped to 37 per cent, highlighting that firms are adapting to shifting policy landscapes while turning their attention towards the existential demands of innovation and market saturation.