AI-Using RIAs Lift Headcount 15% and Advisor Productivity 22%
Updated
Updated · Wealth Management · Sep 4
AI-Using RIAs Lift Headcount 15% and Advisor Productivity 22%
3 articles · Updated · Wealth Management · Sep 4
Summary
6% of independent RIAs disclosed AI use in March 2026 filings, yet those firms grew total headcount 15% from April 2025 to April 2026, versus 8% for firms without AI disclosures.
22% growth in assets under management per advisor at AI-disclosing firms outpaced the 12% gain at comparable non-AI firms, pointing to higher advisor productivity alongside hiring.
11% of industry assets are managed by the AI-disclosing group, suggesting adoption remains concentrated among larger firms even as overall regulatory disclosure of AI use stays limited.
Nearly half of reported AI use centered on administrative tasks such as meeting summaries and document generation, while only 4% cited AI as a direct input to investment decisions.
6,384 Form ADV filings underpinned the Astraeus-Pirker analysis, which argues SEC disclosures likely understate actual usage but still show the RIA industry is in an early adoption phase.