Citi Wealth Report: As Many as 92% of Hong Kong Respondents Use AI, But Still Want Humans at the Helm

Citi Wealth surveyed more than 1,000 Hong Kong respondents. The survey results show that although AI usage stands as high as 92%, more than half of respondents said they are worried about failing to keep up with AI technological developments. Although Gen Z's AI usage rate reaches 100%, 66% of them said they are worried about not keeping up with AI development, the highest proportion among all respondent generations. The report notes that although consumers are increasingly open to AI's role in wealth management, they still generally believe that professional financial advice and human experience are important foundations for financial decision-making. The survey shows that 61% of respondents believe AI is already changing wealth management models, while 82% expect that within the next one to three years, AI will have at least a moderate impact on wealth management. For respondents who have already used AI wealth management tools, current main uses are concentrated on information gathering and decision support, including monitoring market trends and volatility, consolidating expert financial views, and helping understand complex financial concepts. At the same time, among the Emerging Affluent group, 77% of respondents prefer AI to provide information or advice, and only 4% are willing to fully hand over investment management to AI, reflecting that consumers expect AI to help optimize wealth management decisions rather than replace the existing professional financial advisor model. In shopping scenarios, the three most common AI uses include comparing prices, brands, or merchants; checking product information and reviews; and discovering new products or brands. Among respondents who have used AI shopping tools, 73% said the experience was satisfactory. At the same time, more than half of respondents said they are willing to try agentic commerce within the next 12 months, with the proportion among high-net-worth individuals reaching 71%. However, to promote broader application, market concerns about information security, content accuracy, and potential bias still need to be addressed, once again reflecting the importance of trust to the continued development of AI. The survey shows that whether broader AI application can be promoted in the next stage is no longer limited to technology itself, but depends on whether trust can be established. The survey found that respondents consider traditional banks to be the most trusted providers of AI wealth management solutions. Platforms with reliable, secure, and well-established governance mechanisms will become an important foundation for promoting future AI development. Innovative features can certainly attract consumers to try, but whether users can ultimately be encouraged to continue using them or even adopt more advanced AI applications still depends on trust.