Most family offices are early in their use of AI. Four in ten describe early adoption with limited pilots, and few report advanced use. Where offices see benefits, they are mainly faster information processing and less manual work. Use of AI for alpha generation remains the least developed application.
How far have family offices adopted AI?
Citi Wealth asked family offices to describe their AI adoption. The largest group, 40%, is in early adoption with limited pilots. A further 30% report moderate adoption across several functions. Only 10% describe advanced adoption and 2% transformational use, while 19% have not adopted AI. Citi notes that more than half reported no usage the previous year. [1]
| Stage | Global | Below $500m | Above $500m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transformational | 2% | 3% | 1% |
| Advanced adoption | 10% | 7% | 12% |
| Moderate adoption | 30% | 26% | 32% |
| Early adoption | 40% | 38% | 41% |
| No adoption | 19% | 26% | 13% |
Source: Citi Wealth, 2026/27 Global Family Office Report, pp. 102-103. Self-described stages; rows may not sum to 100% because of rounding.
By region, non-adoption is highest in Asia-Pacific at 29% and lowest in North America at 11%. Citi attributes Asia-Pacific's slower start mainly to restrictions on AI use. [1]
Technology, which Citi defines to include investment platforms, reporting tools, cybersecurity and AI, is the most frequently cited strategic priority for 2026, at 38%. Larger offices cite it more often than smaller ones, 44% against 31%. [1]
What do family offices use AI for?
Operational uses come first. AI-generated meeting notes and summaries are the most common application, used extensively or being implemented by 38% of offices. Document management, internal research assistance and workflow automation follow. [1]
| Use case | Share of offices |
|---|---|
| Meeting notes and summaries | 38% |
| Internal knowledge management and research assistance | 32% |
| Document management and retrieval | 30% |
| Workflow automation and process management | 27% |
| Legal and governance document drafting or review | 23% |
| Automated reconciliations | 21% |
| Tax document extraction and analysis | 16% |
| Compliance and regulatory monitoring | 13% |
Source: Citi Wealth, 2026/27 Global Family Office Report, pp. 105, 107. Combined share using extensively or actively implementing.
How is AI used in investment management?
Investment uses are mostly at the exploring stage, which accounts for 33% to 43% of offices in each use case. Market and macro analysis has the highest extensive use, at 12%. Alpha generation has the lowest, at 4%, and 43% of offices do not use AI for it. [1]
| Use case | Extensive | Implementing | Exploring | Not using |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market and macro analysis | 12% | 21% | 43% | 24% |
| Automated reporting and performance analytics | 10% | 21% | 41% | 28% |
| Portfolio and risk monitoring | 8% | 19% | 42% | 31% |
| Deal sourcing and opportunity screening | 7% | 18% | 33% | 42% |
| Alpha generation | 4% | 13% | 40% | 43% |
Source: Citi Wealth, 2026/27 Global Family Office Report, p. 108. Self-reported stages.
What benefits do family offices report?
Speed comes first. Two-thirds of offices, 67%, cite faster information processing as AI's greatest positive impact so far. About a third cite less manual work (35%), faster due diligence (35%) or better decision support (33%). Nearly a quarter, 24%, report no measurable impact yet. [1]
Larger offices report more benefit: 73% cite faster information processing against 58% of smaller offices, and 19% report no measurable impact against 31%. [1]
These are perceived benefits reported by respondents. The survey does not measure time saved, costs or investment results.
Do investors expect managers to use AI?
Not as a requirement. In AIMA/Marex's 2026 survey of investors in emerging hedge funds, 58% would like managers to use AI where there are relevant use cases but do not treat it as a deal-breaker. A further 34% judge funds on their offering, pedigree and opportunity, not AI. Only 8% expect managers to use AI tools. [2]
On the manager side, 42% of surveyed emerging managers use generative AI across all business functions and 18% in the front office only, while 19% do not use it. AIMA notes that managers using AI in the front office will need to explain how it adds value, particularly if it is reflected in fees. [2]
What questions does AI raise in a manager review?
- Where in the investment process is AI used: research, execution, risk or operations?
- Which data and models are involved, and who reviews their output?
- What controls govern confidential data and third-party AI tools?
- Has the use of AI changed the programme's strategy, costs or fees?
What do the surveys not show?
The figures are self-described adoption stages and perceived benefits from two selected samples. They do not show whether AI improves investment decisions or returns, and AIMA's investor sample is 50 respondents. [1, 2]
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Frequently asked questions
How many family offices use AI?
In Citi Wealth's 2026/27 Global Family Office Report, 19% report no AI adoption. 40% are in early adoption, 30% moderate, 10% advanced and 2% transformational.
What do family offices use AI for?
Mainly operations. AI-generated meeting notes and summaries are used extensively or being implemented by 38% of offices, followed by research assistance at 32% and document management at 30%.
Do family offices use AI for alpha generation?
Rarely. 4% use AI extensively for alpha generation and 43% do not use it for this purpose.
Do investors require hedge-fund managers to use AI?
No. In AIMA/Marex's 2026 survey, 58% would like managers to use AI for relevant cases without treating it as a deal-breaker, and 8% expect managers to use it.
For institutional investors. This article provides general information, not investment, tax or legal advice or a recommendation of any manager, strategy or structure. Survey figures describe the stated populations and periods and do not indicate future allocations or results. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Sources
- Citi Wealth, 2026/27 Global Family Office Report. Survey initiated at the June 2026 Family Office Leadership Summit and distributed to Citi Wealth family-office clients: 351 respondents across 41 countries. Self-reported practices; response rate and weighting not disclosed. Strategic priorities, pp. 91-93; AI adoption, pp. 102-104; AI in operations, pp. 105-107; AI in investment management, p. 108; realised benefits, pp. 111-112.
- AIMA/Marex, Stacking Up: Emerging Manager Survey 2026. Separate samples of 180 emerging hedge-fund managers and 50 investors already allocating to emerging hedge funds, surveyed in the first half of 2026. Sponsor-associated publication. AI innovation, p. 38.