Originally published: Investorideas.com, 22 July 2026
New Clearwater Analytics research finds fund managers split – 66% fear over-investing in AI while 25% say they are still not spending enough.
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- 66% of fund managers fear their firms are over-investing in AI, while 25% believe they are still not spending enough
- 63% of firms have increased AI budgets by over 50% in the past 12 months, yet no consensus exists on what the right level of investment looks like
A striking investment paradox is emerging at the heart of the asset management industry’s AI revolution, new research from Clearwater Analytics reveals.
While AI budgets across the fund management industry are growing at an extraordinary pace – with 63% of firms increasing AI spending by more than 50% in the past 12 months and not a single firm reporting a budget decrease – the industry is deeply divided about whether it is spending the right amount.
One in four (25%) fund managers believe their organisation is still not investing enough in AI. Yet a striking 66% say they fear their firms are already over-investing. Together, these findings expose a fault line running through the industry: for all the conviction that AI is essential, there is no consensus on what the right level of commitment looks like in practice – and for an industry where capital allocation decisions carry significant weight, that lack of consensus carries real risk.
Clearwater Analytics commissioned independent research agency Pureprofile to interview 178 senior executives working for asset management firms including insurance asset managers, hedge funds, private markets managers, multi asset, fixed income and equity asset managers based in Europe, the US and Asia Pacific.
