Kevin Okell: Smarter than we look

AI still has major limitations

clock • 3 min read

Robots will no doubt learn at a faster rate than natural selection managed but, writes Kevin Okell, whether they can compress the timescales of human evolution enough to worry today's financial advisers seems doubtful

If you watch ‘Have I Got News For You' or were keeping an eye on the news in April, you may recall a story about a robot that can build an IKEA chair in 20 minutes. Impressive as that sounds, the punchline was that a human could do it in 10 minutes. A follow-up story in The Economist examined the limits of artificial intelligence (AI) more broadly. The fact that physical dexterity is computationally more demanding than mental tasks has been known for some time - it even has a name: Moravec's paradox. The phenomenon explains why robots can beat the world's best chess and go players but...

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

Fidelity Adviser Solutions extends ZeroKey integration to Intelliflo users

Fidelity Adviser Solutions extends ZeroKey integration to Intelliflo users

Designed to reach more advisers

Sophia Panayi
clock 06 October 2026 • 2 min read
Adviser work-life balance worsens as hours increase

Adviser work-life balance worsens as hours increase

Almost a third work more than 40 hours a week

Isabel Baxter
clock 02 October 2026 • 2 min read
When compliance becomes abundant

When compliance becomes abundant

If you create the record, bank the benefit

Matt Lynch
clock 30 September 2026 • 6 min read