Marilyn Cole: A robo-boost for all advisers

Industry is on a learning curve

clock • 3 min read

The rise of automated advice is often portrayed as a battle between robots and humans but, asks Marilyn Cole, could it not end up helping everyone in the adviser community and wider financial services sector?

There has been a huge amount of debate surrounding automated advice - a subject often characterised as a battle between face-to-face advisers and their robo-rivals. Yet what if the spread of automated advice helped everyone in the adviser community and wider financial services sector? The market in the UK has always been diverse in terms of distribution channels - though one can certainly see the arguments for why the robo-adviser might also be seen as a unique threat to human ones. In the past, competition was represented by direct sales forces, then increasingly execution-only opera...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Technology

'Fool's gold' warning as more than half of consumers embrace AI for decision-making

'Fool's gold' warning as more than half of consumers embrace AI for decision-making

AI is increasingly shaping the future of financial services

Laura Miller
clock 17 September 2026 • 2 min read
Can investors with ethical considerations really avoid AI?

Can investors with ethical considerations really avoid AI?

Why it's complicated to avoid AI in investment

Ian Aylward
clock 16 September 2026 • 4 min read
Anthropic rolls out Claude for US financial advisers

Anthropic rolls out Claude for US financial advisers

Has ‘ready-made’ workflows, follow-ups, CRM updates and compliance checks

Sophia Panayi
clock 15 September 2026 • 2 min read