Asia Pacific leads the world in wealth AI adoption

FNZ and ThoughtLab have found that Asia Pacific is the most mature region for AI adoption in wealth and asset management, based on a global study of 500 investment firms, including 155 in APAC.

The regional analysis suggests firms in Asia Pacific are moving beyond early trials and preparing to deploy AI more widely across their businesses. It identifies Singapore, China/Hong Kong, Malaysia and Japan as markets ranking above the global average for AI maturity.

Among surveyed AI leaders in the region, 86% said they are preparing their data, technology infrastructure, workflows and employees for AI, compared with 77% globally. Another 65% said they are developing and communicating a top-down AI vision, versus 59% globally.

Governance also ranked highly in the research. Some 70% of APAC AI leaders said they are defining and monitoring risks linked to emerging AI technologies, compared with 57% globally, while 65% said they have put AI testing and auditing processes in place, versus 58% globally.

The business case for AI also appeared stronger in the region. The study found that 68% of AI leaders in Asia Pacific said AI is creating greater shareholder value, compared with 55% globally.

Workforce shift

The research identified workforce change as a central issue for firms in the region. While 76% of firms globally said AI will require organisations to redefine existing roles, that figure rose to 84% in Asia Pacific.

This suggests firms expect AI to reshape operating models, workforce structures and decision-making across the enterprise. Leading firms are treating AI as a broader business transformation issue rather than a standalone technology project.

Firms with stronger results also tend to align senior leadership around a common AI strategy, update their data and technology environments, prepare staff for new ways of working and put governance structures in place.

Sanjeev Chatrath, Managing Director, Asia, FNZ, said the strongest momentum was visible in several major regional markets.

"Asia's AI advantage is becoming increasingly clear, with the APAC data showing the strongest momentum in markets such as Singapore, China/Hong Kong, Malaysia and Japan. Across the region, firms are combining fast-growing wealth markets, strong technology talent, digital-first operating models and a willingness to embrace new ways of working," Chatrath said.

He also pointed to Singapore's policy and governance frameworks. "Singapore is a good example of how responsible innovation can be supported through practical governance and assurance initiatives, including the Model AI Governance Framework, AI Verify and the Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI. Together, these conditions are helping firms move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation," Chatrath said.

Adoption trends

The analysis also tracked expected growth in specific AI tools. Among AI leaders in Asia Pacific, generative AI adoption is expected to rise from 43% to 75% over the next three years, while agentic AI adoption is expected to increase from 11% to 22%.

Other technologies highlighted for further growth included machine learning, natural language processing and multimodal AI. Firms said these systems are likely to be used more widely in both client-facing and operational parts of the business.

Customer relationship management, data security and privacy were identified as leading future applications in the region. The research linked those priorities to efforts to improve personalisation, decision-making and organisational resilience.

Regional context

The findings come as wealth and asset managers face pressure to show measurable returns from AI spending rather than simply test new tools. In that context, Asia Pacific's stronger scores on organisational readiness, governance and workforce planning suggest a more advanced effort to integrate AI into core business processes.

The regional study forms part of a wider examination of how investment firms are adopting AI around the world. The global research covered 500 firms, giving the APAC results a comparative benchmark across multiple markets.

The study suggests access to AI technology alone may not be enough to determine which firms pull ahead. Stronger performers are those that combine leadership alignment, governance, updated data systems and workforce preparation as part of a broader business change programme.

For wealth and asset managers in Asia Pacific, the figures suggest the region's advantage lies less in isolated pilots and more in applying AI across the organisation. One of the clearest signs of that shift is that 84% of firms in the region expect AI to redefine existing roles across the enterprise.