By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning A recent industry piece featuring Bravura Solutions makes a bold claim: artificial intelligence could reduce core adviser tasks from hours to seconds. They’re right. But they’re also missing the point. This is not an efficiency story.It’s a structural shift in who holds power, who makes decisions, and what … Continue reading AI Can Cut Advice Admin to Seconds — But That’s Not the Real Story
Tag: chatgpt
When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
There’s been a quiet but important shift in the UK courts. Senior judges are now openly using artificial intelligence as part of their day-to-day work. Not to decide cases—but to improve clarity, reduce error, and increase efficiency. That matters. Because it shows where AI is genuinely useful—and where the boundaries still sit. The judiciary has … Continue reading When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
Agentic AI Won’t Close the Advice Gap — It Will Expose It
There’s a quiet shift happening in financial services. AI firms are now building what they call “agentic operating systems”—platforms designed to automate workflows, increase adviser capacity, and scale advice delivery. On the surface, it sounds like progress. And to be fair—technically—it is. But strategically? It may be solving the wrong problem entirely. The Industry’s Framing: … Continue reading Agentic AI Won’t Close the Advice Gap — It Will Expose It
The Future of Regulated Advice: Adapt, Evolve, or Be Replaced
There is a quiet shift underway in financial services. Not a dramatic collapse. Not a sudden disruption.But something more consequential. A slow, structural unravelling of the traditional advice model. And most advisers haven’t fully clocked it yet. A Model Under Pressure Regulated advisers today are operating within a tightening vice. On one side, regulatory change.On … Continue reading The Future of Regulated Advice: Adapt, Evolve, or Be Replaced
Human–AI Agency: The Missing Discipline in Total Wealth Planning
Why the future of financial planning will be defined not by AI capability… but by who retains control of the thinking. We Are Solving the Wrong Problem Most conversations about AI in financial planning are focused on one question: How do we use AI to improve advice? It sounds sensible. But it’s the wrong question. … Continue reading Human–AI Agency: The Missing Discipline in Total Wealth Planning
The Return of Agency: How AI Changes the Balance of Power in Financial Services
Last summer, the UK Supreme Court confirmed something many in the industry had long argued for: Credit brokers do not owe a fiduciary duty to their customers. For some, that was a legal clarification.For others, it was a line in the sand. Because stripped back to its essence, the ruling reinforced a simple reality: The … Continue reading The Return of Agency: How AI Changes the Balance of Power in Financial Services
“Clients Are Bringing ChatGPT Into the Advice Meeting. Good.”
The real risk isn’t AI. It’s what happens when clients start thinking for themselves. There’s a quiet shift happening in financial advice. It didn’t start with regulation.It didn’t start with Consumer Duty.And it won’t be solved by another compliance framework. It started when the client walked into the meeting…with ChatGPT open. 🔹 The Headline Everyone … Continue reading “Clients Are Bringing ChatGPT Into the Advice Meeting. Good.”
Apocalypse Now? No. The Power Shift Has Already Happened.
There’s a familiar pattern playing out across financial services. Panic.Denial.Then debate. “Will AI destroy financial data firms?”“Are incumbents safe?”“Is this the end—or just another hype cycle?” It’s the wrong conversation. Because while the industry argues about who owns the pipes…the flow of power has already changed direction. The Industry Is Fighting the Wrong War The … Continue reading Apocalypse Now? No. The Power Shift Has Already Happened.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s… While the Power Shift Happens Elsewhere
By Steve Conley There’s something quietly symbolic about senior banking executives gathering at Tiffany’s to discuss the future of AI in finance. Crystal glasses. Polished marble. Legacy institutions. And conversations about “transformation.” But here’s the uncomfortable truth: While the industry debates how to upgrade itself… the centre of power is already moving somewhere else. The … Continue reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s… While the Power Shift Happens Elsewhere
AI Didn’t Kill Financial Planning. It Exposed What Was Missing.
I’ve sat in the room. I’ve experienced the training.The deep listening.The powerful questions.The emotional breakthroughs. And to be clear—there is real value in that work. For many advisers, it’s the first time they: Slow down Truly listen See the person before the portfolio It can feel transformative. But after the experience fades, a quieter question … Continue reading AI Didn’t Kill Financial Planning. It Exposed What Was Missing.
Academy of Life Planning 