Building responsible AI applications for wealth management
By: Eric Mellor, Wealth Management Specialist, APAC & MEA, Temenos
The wealth management landscape across the APAC and MEA regions is undergoing a seismic shift thanks, in part, to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Capgemini’s World Wealth Report 2025, a staggering $83.5 trillion is expected to be transferred to the next generation by 2048. Of that, 44% (more than $36 trillion) will be going to millennials, 47% to women, and 25% of the transfers occurring within EMEA. Alarmingly, 80% of inheritors plan to switch providers within two years of receiving their inheritance.
This wealth transfer brings both opportunity and challenge. Younger clients demand digital-first experiences, yet wealth management remains anchored in trust and human relationships.
Trust and technology, not a binary choice
As Bill Gates famously said, “We always overestimate what will occur in the next two years and underestimate what will occur in the next ten.”
That insight is crucial today. AI can enhance speed and personalization, but it should not replace the empathy and nuance of face-to-face advice. Tools should intensify relationships, not erode them.
Where AI works best
We are already seeing compelling use cases:
- Automated credit memo workflows: A leading Egyptian bank is using GenAI to draft credit memos for corporate and midsize lending, dramatically reducing manual effort and accelerating loan processing. With solutions such as Temenos’ AI-powered document orchestration, wealth managers can adopt similar intelligent automation while retaining full compliance oversight and auditability.
- End-to-end risk value chain support: A South African retail bank has deployed GenAI across risk identification, document vetting, decision-making, and ongoing monitoring to meet regulatory deadlines more accurately and efficiently. Temenos provides explainable AI capabilities that support real-time risk analytics embedded within its core banking platform, helping banks manage regulatory complexity more confidently.
- Real-time anomaly detection for financial crime – Several pan-African banks are already leveraging GenAI to detect suspicious patterns and automate compliance reports, helping them mitigate fraud and AML threats swiftly. Temenos GenAI enables financial crime mitigation with AI-powered alert summarisation, prioritisation, and transparent audit trails.
These enhancements showcase real-world impact. They also highlight how Temenos aligns with and augments these AI-driven finance capabilities, reinforcing both credibility and brand leadership.
But regardless of where AI is applied, its success ultimately depends on how it is measured.
Measure, learn, repeat
Every AI initiative should begin with clear success metrics: client satisfaction (NPS), cost efficiency, and advisor adoption rates. Tracking these KPIs before and after launch allows firms to fail fast, adapt, and allocate resources to what truly works.
Of course, chatbots can be very frustrating. Technology should support, not alienate, clients.
Remember, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
This simple principle ensures that AI only enhances the segments of service where it adds real value.
Building responsible AI
At Temenos, our focus is on helping wealth managers integrate AI strategically and responsibly to enhance decision-making while preserving the trust that underpins long-term client relationships. Our AI-augmented advisory platform equips advisors with timely, context-rich insights to support more informed conversations and tailored recommendations.
Through secure data orchestration, client information remains protected, ensuring full compliance with regional data privacy and residency regulations. With explainable AI frameworks built into our solutions, every decision path is fully transparent, auditable, and aligned with evolving regulatory expectations. This allows wealth managers to adopt innovation confidently, even in highly regulated and rapidly changing markets like APAC and MEA.
AI should amplify advisor expertise, not replace it. AI must be leveraged to give wealth managers the confidence to deliver personalised service at scale while reinforcing the credibility that drives client loyalty.
Wealth providers face a fork in the road. AI that simply targets cost efficiency misses the investor’s evolving needs. True success lies in intelligent automation that respects emotional trust. With technology and the ability to swiftly scale trusted service, wealth managers can confidently serve both tech-first and relationship-first clients without compromise.
Final take
The role of AI in wealth management comes down to enhancing the conversations, insights, and experiences wealth managers deliver.
Above all, trust must remain the foundation. By thoughtfully blending human expertise with intelligent automation, wealth managers can serve both established and next-generation clients with confidence, relevance, and scale. For wealth providers in APAC and MEA, the opportunity is here.
Leader in IDC Wealth Management Report
Temenos is positioned as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Wealth Management Technology 2025 Vendor Assessment