If there's one truth that defines the current moment in financial advice, it's this: the pace of change has become impossible to ignore. Artificial intelligence is evolving not year by year, but day by day.
If there's one truth that defines the current moment in financial advice, it's this: the pace of change has become impossible to ignore. Artificial intelligence is evolving not year by year, but day by day. As Michael Mulder noted in the latest Digital Lowdown session, content prepared one week can already feel dated by the next morning.
The question for advisers is no longer whether AI will affect their practice; it's how to engage with it deliberately, and on your own terms.
The AI market is currently dominated by a handful of major players: Google with Gemini, Anthropic with Claude, and OpenAI with ChatGPT. Microsoft, often cited alongside them, doesn't build its own model; rather, it integrates others, having used OpenAI's models historically and more recently incorporating Claude into its Copilot offering.
For advisers evaluating where to start, this matters. Your choice of AI tool isn't just about features, it's about where your data sits, how it integrates with your existing tech stack, and what security assurances come with each platform. Most tools offer monthly subscriptions at accessible price points, allowing you to trial and cancel without a long-term commitment.
The practical advice: start small. A $20-a-month subscription to one of the leading models is a low-stakes way to develop familiarity. The value is in the learning.
"Before jumping into these tools, always make sure your data is clear, clean and secure". ~ Mike Mulder.
One of the session's most important themes was the danger of letting technology drive the agenda. The better approach is to ask: what problem am I trying to solve? What are the gaps in how my business operates today?
You don't need to overhaul your entire practice overnight because of the rise of AI or new legislation. Instead, identify specific pain points, a repetitive onboarding task, a compliance documentation burden, a client communication that takes too long to produce, and explore whether an AI tool can meaningfully help with that specific thing.
AI agents can be configured to operate within precise guardrails, drawing only on the information you give them, sticking to specific topics, and referencing approved sources only when internal options are exhausted. Building these agents is now genuinely accessible to non-technical users. The prompting and configuration work replaces what used to require a developer, and the results can be tailored closely to how your business actually works.
South Africa is not standing still on AI regulation. A formal AI road map is now before parliament, spanning education, trade, public administration, healthcare, and financial services. Most forward-looking firms are already establishing governance frameworks, securing enterprise licences, and integrating AI within controlled environments.
On the regulatory compliance side, advances in AI are already beginning to simplify some of the more demanding reporting requirements, including SARS integrations. AI's ability to absorb and adapt to those changes quickly stands to meaningfully improve data quality during tax reporting season, and strengthen the accuracy of what flows through to SARS certificates. The adviser community has a role to play in supporting and engaging with that evolution, not just reacting to it.
Amid all this change, one thing remains constant: the importance of a strong operational foundation. Delivering consistent, high-quality advice requires clarity, confidence, and the right support structures. That's precisely where a future-fit investment platform becomes essential.
The INN8 Investment Platform was designed with this in mind. Purpose-built and adviser-inspired, it brings together investment administration, product access, and optimisation in a digital-first environment that mirrors how advisers actually work. No legacy complexity. No unnecessary friction. Just the infrastructure to deliver advice with consistency and confidence, leaving more time for what matters most: your clients.
Running alongside the AI revolution is what may be South Africa's most significant regulatory overhaul in two decades, the COFI Bill, which will reshape how every FSP-licensed practice operates, gets paid, and is held accountable. The work you do today on your technology and processes is the same work that prepares you for what COFI will require. These aren't two separate conversations. They're one.
Missed the session? Watch the full recording here: