Italian investors rely on AI for research but trust human advisors for financial decisions
An IPSOS survey for OVB Holding reveals that Italian investors use artificial intelligence tools to compare financial products and gather information, yet still prefer consulting with traditional human financial advisors when making actual investment decisions. The research highlights a gap between willingness to leverage AI for due diligence and confidence in autonomous AI-based investment choices.
Italian investors have incorporated artificial intelligence into their financial research workflow, using these tools primarily as information-gathering resources for evaluating investment products. However, when the time comes to commit capital or make binding financial choices, these same investors demonstrate a preference for human financial advisors, suggesting technology adoption has created a research-support role rather than replacing personal consultation.
This pattern reflects a broader tension in modern finance: technological capability has expanded faster than investor confidence in autonomous algorithmic decision-making. The IPSOS survey, commissioned by OVB Holding, documents this behavioral gap as a meaningful market insight, indicating that investors distinguish between AI's utility for passive research and its perceived reliability for active portfolio management.
The findings could influence how financial services firms design their offerings and advisory models going forward. If investors continue favoring human intermediaries for decisions while using AI for research, institutions may need to integrate AI tools into human-advisor workflows rather than developing purely algorithmic solutions. This pattern could also affect competition in the wealth management sector, where firms combining technological infrastructure with human expertise might gain competitive advantage over either pure-play alternatives.