Fundsters' usage of generative artificial intelligence spiked up last year, especially in certain functions, according to new research from the folks at an industry consulting firm near Boston.

Last week, Loren Fox, director of research at Fuse Research Network, unveiled new findings from an upcoming report from the Needham, Massachusetts-based firm. That report, which will be released later this month, draws on a September-October 2025 Fuse-SME Forum survey of 23 asset managers with about $12 trillion in combined U.S. AUM.

Fox focuses specifically on how fund firms are using GenAI "for distribution and enablement tasks." On the one hand, the vast majority of firms are now using the technology for functions like:

document summarization (used by 91 percent of firms in 2025, up year-over-year from 56 percent in 2024);

email drafting and editing (91 percent, up Y/Y from 36 percent);

content generation and editing (73 percent, up from 36 percent);

finding information (73 percent, up from 21 percent); and

taking notes in meetings (73 percent, up from 21 percent).

"However, adoption remains limited for more complex initiatives," Fox states:

48 percent of asset managers used GenAI "to synthesize data from various sources" last year (up from 25 percent in 2024);

31 percent in 2025 used the technology "for segmenting advisors" (up Y/Y from 25 percent); and

23 percent in 2025 used the technology "to generate reports" (up from 21 percent).

"All asset managers have begun to use Gen AI in some way, but a minority have implemented large-scale projects," Fox tells MFWire in an emailed statement. "This year will be an important time for many firms to prove the value of smaller AI initiatives and thereby make the case for larger investments in the technology." 

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