Christel Rendu de Lint & Georg Schubiger, Co-CEOs, Vontobel:

Room to advise: Georg Schubiger, Christel Rendu de Lint. (Image: courtesy)

People will continue to make the difference. Because — to this day — only a human being is capable of recognizing the subtle distinction between the obvious and the absurd. That is the essence of creativity. And in a world of constant change, creativity is needed precisely where standard solutions fall short and reach their limits. What our clients expect of us is support in fulfilling personal goals and dreams. Just as every individual is unique, so too are their goals, life paths, and circumstances.

Artificial intelligence can assist with analysis and execution, giving advisors greater decision-making confidence and freeing up space for advisory conversations. AI delivers efficiency gains. It analyzes data, simulates scenarios, and supports portfolio optimization, among other tasks. It therefore has its place in professional wealth advisory. Machines, however, cannot make value judgments or take the singular decisions that are the everyday currency of advisory work. Nor can AI read between the lines. Anyone who has worked with AI knows that the best results come from the most precise task descriptions — yet good advisors must not only listen well, they must also perceive what is left unsaid.

Those Who Don't Use AI Will Be Replaced

Personal advisory therefore has a future wherever the standard and the obvious are not enough — wherever value judgments, creativity, singular decisions, and the full range of human perception and intelligence are required. We must work with AI in our clients' interest to find the best solution. Because even if machines cannot replace advisors for the foreseeable future, the person who understands the possibilities and limitations of AI systems will certainly replace the one who does not.