SINGAPORE – Singapore’s mass affluent and high-net-worth investors are using artificial intelligence for finance at a faster pace than their global peers, but continue to rely on human advisers to validate insights before making investment decisions, according to new research by HSBC.
A survey of more than 600 investors in Singapore, conducted by Ipsos for HSBC in January and February, found that 76 per cent use AI tools for their research compared with a 72 per cent global average.
Close to 70 per cent of the Singapore investors use AI to support research and analysis, while 44 per cent use it for strategy development and 34 per cent to stress-test ideas.
However, 79 per cent still turn to financial advisers for reassurance, while 71 per cent seek strategic expertise before committing to major decisions.
Only 8 per cent of respondents said AI was the single most influential factor in their most recent investment decision, below the global average of 12 per cent.
While 43 per cent reported that AI has increased their appetite for calculated risks, this remains more conservative than the global figure of 49 per cent.
The preference for a hybrid approach is evident. Some 57 per cent of Singapore investors favour combining AI with human advice, above the global average of 50 per cent.
Among Gen Z investors, 45 per cent prefer using AI to generate ideas before consulting advisers, compared with 38 per cent globally.
Unlike many markets where AI uptake skews younger, adoption in Singapore cuts across age groups.
Among Gen X investors born between between 1965 and 1980, 72 per cent reported using AI in finance versus 65 per cent globally. For baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – the gap is wider at 72 per cent in Singapore compared with 59 per cent worldwide.
This cross-generational engagement suggests that AI tools are becoming a mainstream component of investment workflows rather than a niche tool for younger, tech-savvy investors, the report said.
Among high-net-worth individuals with at least US$2 million (S$2.6 million) in investable assets, AI adoption in Singapore reaches 90 per cent, outpacing the global level of 82 per cent.
These investors attribute an average of 40 per cent of their portfolio returns over the past 12 months to AI influence, above the 31 per cent average across all Singapore respondents.
At the same time, 65 per cent say AI has increased their sense of control over investment outcomes, indicating growing confidence in the technology’s role in portfolio management.
The findings come as HSBC Singapore steps up its deployment of “adviser-enabled AI”.
Its Wealth Intelligence, launched in September 2025, aggregates insights from more than 10,000 sources to support relationship managers in client discussions. AI Prepare, introduced in May 2026, generates client engagement packs by consolidating portfolio data and financial information.
Separately, HSBC and Google Cloud announced a multi-year strategic AI partnership in June, aimed at developing more than 200 AI use cases across the bank’s global operations within two years, including hyper-personalised wealth management.
Ashmita Acharya, head of international wealth and premier banking at HSBC Singapore, said the data shows Singapore’s investors are using AI in their financial decision-making with discipline and setting a higher bar for advice.
“They are doing more of their own analysis, arriving at conversations better prepared, and expecting more of the professional advisers who help them as a result,” she said.
HSBC’s global survey covered 9,993 mass affluent and high-net-worth investors across 10 markets, with 609 respondents from Singapore.
