Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from conversation to commitment faster than any technology in recent memory. Among Canadian institutional investors, nearly every firm has invested in it, and few are willing to be seen standing still. But underneath that near-universal momentum, questions are starting to surface: What do firms actually use it for? How much of this investment is actually creating value?
While organizations continue to invest heavily in AI, a gap is emerging between spending and returns. We surveyed 233 Canadian asset managers, asset owners and wealth managers to understand this shift. What emerged is a picture of an industry in motion—one where nearly every firm has committed resources to AI, and where use cases are being built around specific operational pain points.
This report explores three dimensions of this story:
- The use case divide: Why asset owners, asset managers and wealth managers are pursuing different AI agendas
- The AI adoption gap: What the gap between AI commitment and deployment tells us about where the industry really stands
- The right data foundation: Why data readiness, governance and residency determine whether AI delivers or disappoints
Explore how Canadian institutional investors are using AI and how the competitive landscape will be shaped by who gets the data foundation right.