GenAI delivering now, tokenisation is next for FS industry - survey

Broadridge’s survey of more than 900 financial services technology and operations leaders across wealth management, capital markets, and asset management finds that leading financial services firms are moving beyond GenAI experimentation toward scaled execution, using the technology to drive immediate productivity gains.

Of those surveyed, 80% report using generative or predictive AI in operations, up from 31% last year, reflecting a rapid move from pilot programmes to enterprise deployment. AI is also viewed as delivering the greatest business impact among next-generation technologies, surpassing cloud. As confidence in returns grows, 72% of firms report making moderate to large GenAI investments, while concern about GenAI ROI has fallen to 33%, down from 42% a year ago.

That shift is translating into results: 27% of firms report measurable business benefits from GenAI, a 13-point increase year over year, underscoring AI’s growing impact on productivity and operational efficiency.

As generative AI matures, firms are beginning to deploy agentic AI — more autonomous systems capable of executing tasks and orchestrating workflows with limited human intervention. While still early, 26% of firms report current use of agentic AI, with more than half of those deployments already beyond pilot phases. Adoption is most advanced among large institutions, where nearly one-third of firms managing more than $250 billion in assets report active use.

There are barriers to faster take-up, notably the talent gap: 37% of firms cite lack of skilled talent as a barrier to agentic AI adoption, reflecting rising demand for advanced technical and data capabilities. Regarding GenAI, 38% of firms said lack of skilled talent is their biggest barrier to adoption, up from 28% in 2025.

Broadridge suggests that tokenisation is the next big tech shift for the industry. While near-term adoption remains measured, confidence in blockchain and distributed ledger technology continues to rise, with 53% of firms believing DLT will have a dramatic effect on the way assets are settled.

That conviction is increasingly translating into capital commitments. More than half (54%) of firms report making moderate to large investments in tokenisation and digital asset infrastructure, signaling that the industry is moving beyond exploration toward scaled buildout.

While firms cite benefits including enhanced liquidity, improved operational efficiency and faster settlement, they also acknowledge risks related to regulatory uncertainty, interoperability challenges, cybersecurity, and market structure fragmentation. The study found that 64% of firms cite cybersecurity risks associated with tokenisation and 55% point to increased valuation risk.

“AI proved the industry can modernise at speed,” says Germán Soto Sanchez, chief product and strategy officer, Broadridge. “Tokenisation is the next leap forward that will re-architect markets. Its clear financial services firms see tokenisation is a long-term structural evolution to financial market infrastructure that delivers efficiency, transparency, and liquidity.”