A perspective from Morrow's Financial Services Director on how AI could change the advice journey.
Written by
Amit Gupta · Financial Services Director
Published: 15 Sept 2026 · 5 min read
I recently interviewed someone for an adviser role, and, during our conversation, the subject of Artificial Intelligence came up.
Their view was unequivocal. They saw the growing use of AI within financial services as a form of “corporate greed” - technology being introduced primarily to reduce headcount, cut costs and ultimately make advisers redundant. They went as far as saying they would not want to work for a company exploring its use.
It was a fascinating perspective, and one I suspect is shared by more people than we might like to admit. But it made me wonder whether taking such a hard-line position on AI could leave advisers more vulnerable, rather than less.
If AI is going to change our industry, resisting it won't stop that change. Perhaps the greater opportunity for advisers is to understand it, influence how it is used and embrace the parts that can make them better at what they do. The debate shouldn't be AI versus the adviser. It should be about creating a better financial services industry - combining technology, efficiency and scale with the judgement, empathy and human interaction that great advisers provide.
The Client Should Decide What Good Service Looks Like
At Morrow, we firmly believe there will always be clients who want to speak to another human being.
Buying a home or arranging a mortgage is one of the biggest financial commitments many people will ever make. Some clients will want reassurance, the opportunity to talk through their circumstances and the confidence that an experienced adviser understands their situation. Our advisers can, and will, continue to provide that service.
But not every client wants to interact with financial services in the same way. Increasingly, some will value speed, convenience, and efficiency, and may be comfortable using AI-assisted tools for elements of their mortgage journey. Why should we force those clients through a traditional journey simply because that is how our industry has always operated?
If technology can reduce unnecessary administration, improve efficiency and maintain the quality of advice and appropriate consumer protections, we should embrace that opportunity. It could allow businesses such as Morrow to help more people at scale, while allowing advisers to focus their time on understanding clients, applying judgement and delivering expert advice.
The objective should not be to remove expertise from the mortgage journey. It should be to make that expertise available to more people.
Pandora's Box Is Already Open
In relation to AI, Pandora's box is already open.
AI is being deployed across nearly every industry and is developing at extraordinary speed, with its potential already being demonstrated in important areas such as medicine and healthcare. Financial services cannot simply decide that AI is uncomfortable and pretend it does not exist. The more important question is: how do we use it responsibly?
Financial services companies deal with sensitive information and decisions that can have significant consequences for consumers. AI cannot therefore be introduced simply because it makes something quicker or cheaper. Its implementation requires appropriate governance, transparency, data protection, oversight and accountability, alongside a clear regulatory framework that protects consumers while allowing responsible innovation. Used badly, AI can undoubtedly create risks. Used responsibly, it can create considerable benefits for clients and potentially allow significantly more people to access advice.
The challenge is not to prevent AI from entering financial services, but to create the framework that allows us to harness its benefits while properly managing its risks.
Will AI Replace Jobs?
We also shouldn't avoid the uncomfortable question at the heart of the adviser's concern: Will AI replace jobs?
In some cases, almost certainly. Certain tasks currently performed by people will increasingly be automated or assisted by technology, and some roles may reduce, disappear or fundamentally change. But technological change has always reshaped employment and society. As certain duties disappear, different skills and new roles emerge.
Financial services will need people who understand how AI is governed, monitored, and integrated, alongside those who can combine financial services expertise with technology, compliance, data and customer experience. Advisers themselves may also find that AI makes their role more valuable rather than less. An adviser who spends less time gathering information, rekeying data, chasing documents and completing repetitive administration can spend more time speaking to clients, solving complex problems, and providing advice. That isn't necessarily the disappearance of the adviser. It could be the evolution of the adviser.
Human When You Want It. Technology When You Don't.
For me, this ultimately comes down to choice. We shouldn't force consumers to interact with AI because it is cheaper for the company. Equally, we shouldn't force them through lengthy traditional processes when technology could provide a faster and more convenient experience.
At Morrow, our view is that AI should be responsibly embraced within financial services, with appropriate controls, regulatory oversight and, importantly, client choice.
Some clients will want traditional human interaction and advice. Others will prefer an AI-assisted journey offering greater speed and efficiency. For many, the ideal experience will sit somewhere between the two - technology handling the straightforward elements while a qualified professional remains available when judgement, reassurance or advice is required.
Perhaps that hybrid model is where the greatest opportunity lies. The companies that succeed won't necessarily be those that use the most AI, or those that resist it for the longest. They will be the companies that understand where technology improves the client experience and where human expertise improves it further.
AI is becoming increasingly prevalent within financial services, whether our industry is comfortable with it or not. Our responsibility is to use it well - not simply to reduce costs or replace people, but to create a financial services industry that is faster, more accessible, and capable of delivering expert advice to more consumers while preserving the human interaction that many will always value.
That, in my view, is not corporate greed. It's responsible progress.
