What’s really happening with AI in wealth and asset management? Based on insights from 500 firms managing $74.2 trillion in assets, this global study reveals how top performers are converting AI pilots into measurable business gains.

Most wealth and asset managers see AI as critical to their future. It’s rewiring how firms build portfolios, serve clients and run their operations. Yet two-thirds of the firms surveyed report only small or moderate returns on their AI investments. The main obstacles are familiar: 55 percent cite cultural resistance, 51 percent cite poor data quality, 45 percent point to talent gaps and 39 percent struggle with system integration.

Yet, 19 percent of firms surveyed are reporting ROI of greater than seven percent. This group of leaders is breaking through these limits. They are embedding AI into decision-making, risk management and client engagement. These firms report higher productivity, faster time to market and stronger ROI. Their progress provides a roadmap for peers who want to turn AI vision into tangible performance gains.

They share five traits that set them apart:

1. A clear AI vision and culture that inspires change.
2. Clean, connected and cloud-ready data.
3. Strong governance and risk frameworks that build trust.
4. AI-literate teams who collaborate with machines
5. A shift toward agentic AI, where autonomous systems act, decide and learn in real time.

We’re entering the agentic era, where AI agents work alongside advisors to optimize portfolios, personalize experiences and anticipate client needs. Firms that meet these conditions are more likely to achieve positive returns. On average, leaders see an ROI of 4.7 percent compared with 3.1 percent for those that do not. On top of that, more than a third of these successful firms report positive returns greater than seven percent.

The research shows that firms leading on AI share five success factors: a clear roadmap, modern data and technology, strong governance, a culture of experimentation and investment in people and skills. Publicis Sapient's Bodhi and Slingshot platforms were designed to bring those principles to life in the financial services industry.

• Integrate siloed systems into one consistent view of performance and risk
  
  
•  Improve compliance transparency through traceable data flows
  
  
• Power portfolio optimization and client analytics with higher-quality data

• Deliver new digital products in weeks, not months
  
  
• Modernize trading and reporting systems up to 75 percent faster
  
  
• Improve developer productivity and reduce release defects