Indian investors lead the world in AI adoption for finance, but still trust humans with the final call
Jun 24, 2026
Synopsis
Indian wealthy investors are leading the world in using AI for financial research and analysis, with 86% leveraging the technology. While AI boosts their confidence and willingness to take calculated risks, human financial advisors still hold the reins for final investment decisions. This indicates a growing preference for a hybrid model, where AI assists in research, but human judgment remains paramount.
India's wealthy investors may be among the world's most enthusiastic users of artificial intelligence (AI), but when it comes to deciding where to put their money, they are still turning to humans.
A new HSBC survey found that 86% of affluent and high-net-worth investors in India use AI for finance and investment-related activities, the highest among 10 markets surveyed and well above the global average of 73%.
The finding shows how rather than replacing financial advisers,AI is increasingly becoming a tool investors use to research markets, test ideas and challenge their own assumptions before making a decision.
For many investors, AI has become the first stop in the investment process with about 80% of respondents saying they use the technology for analysis and research, while 70% use it for strategy support. Nearly a third said they rely on it to sense-check their thinking or get a second opinion.
The growing use of AI is also changing how investors feel about risk.
Nearly two-thirds of Indian respondents said AI makes them more willing to take calculated risks, making them the most confident investors globally on this measure. More than half said AI makes them feel more in control of their finances, while respondents attributed an average 40% of their investment returns over the past year to the influence of AI.
Yet despite embracing the technology faster than investors elsewhere, Indians appear reluctant to hand over the final call.
Financial advisers remain the most important source of investment ideas for 67% of respondents and continue to exert more influence on final decisions than AI tools. Only 15% said AI had the greatest influence over their ultimate investment choices.
The gap highlights what may be emerging as the next phase of AI adoption in finance.
Instead of a future where algorithms replace advisers, investors appear to be gravitating toward a hybrid model where technology handles research and analysis while humans provide context, judgement and accountability.
More than half of respondents said their preferred approach combines AI tools and human advisers. About a third said they would use AI to identify opportunities before seeking validation from an adviser, while others want advisers themselves to use AI as part of the advisory process.
"Indian investors are embracing AI faster than anywhere else in the world, using it to explore options and sense-check decisions," said Sandeep Batra, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC India.
"What’s striking is that despite high AI usage, AI's influence in investment ideas and over decision-making trails behind professional advisers."
The findings come as banks, brokerages and wealth management firms race to embed generative AI tools into everything from portfolio analysis and market research to customer service and financial planning.
The survey suggests that while investors are increasingly comfortable asking AI what to do with their money, they are not yet ready to let it decide for them.
That distinction could prove important as the financial industry enters the next stage of the AI era — one where the question is no longer whether investors will use AI, but how much authority they are willing to give it.
[The Economic Times]
