How AI Will Reshape Client Communications in 2026

Artificial intelligence was definitely the word on the street in 2025.

As AI capabilities continue to improve, advisors are inevitably going to have to grapple with it (if they haven’t already) and put it to use in their practices. Notetaking apps and marketing material generators are already reshaping client communications, not to mention those bots that claim to pick stocks, meaning advisors will need to understand how the technology will evolve in the new year and how they can leverage it to their advantage. 

“What are those client moments that I can elevate because I was smarter, because of AI?” said Dan Zitting, CEO of Nitrogen. “Can I create more of those catalyst moments, more of those times where the client’s eyes light up because I said something impactful?”

New AI Heights

Chatbots, as well as the resulting deployment of company-specific LLMs, are expected to take center stage next year, said Patrick Hunt, CEO of Smartria, a compliance software company. If firms don’t provide advisors with the tools they’re already using, they will “BYOAI,” or “bring your own AI,” he said. But the SEC’s lack of overarching guidelines when it comes to AI’s deployment could become problematic. “It’s incumbent upon advisory firms to arm their employees with the latest and greatest AI tools that have been properly vetted for data security, bias and other challenges,” he said.

Still, policy gaps haven’t stopped advisors. According to a recent Advisor360° survey:

• In 2025, 85% of advisors referred to generative AI as a “help” to their practice, up from 64% in 2024.
• Just 8% of advisors called AI a “threat” in 2025, a significant drop from 21% in 2024.

A Personal Touch: For advisors, most of 2025 was dedicated to learning to use AI tools, primarily in their chatbot form, Zitting said. But next year, they’ll start to use them in more specific ways, as targeted tools get approved by their RIA or broker-dealer. Chatbots are expected to improve client relations, synthesize meetings and open up planning options that advisors may not have noticed.

“Historically, I would have gone back to my notes and thought about: ‘Okay, remind me. Where are these clients’ kids, what’s their situation?’” Zitting said, adding that AI can do that while also suggesting next best actions. “If AI can help me do all of that more quickly … I am, as the advisor, better prepared to show up and create those connections.”