The wealth management industry is on the edge of a transformation larger and faster than anything we have seen before. The technology will be ready. The question is whether the industry will be.
That question sits at the center of Future Proof Citywide 2026.
“The technology is going to be there, it’s going to be ready, but the firms aren’t going to be AI-ready. We need, as an industry, to start the conversations about what that actually means.”
— Matt Middleton, Founder & CEO, Future Proof
The real AI story is work, not widgets
AI’s novelty has overshadowed its deeper effect: how we design work. In the last 24 months, AI has jumped from labs to daily use at a speed that outpaces every prior consumer technology. ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer app on record, crossing 100 million users within months, a clear signal that large language models are already a mass-market tool that reaches beyond technical roles.
Enterprise adoption is following fast. McKinsey’s State of AI 2025 report shows that organizations are redesigning workflows, appointing senior owners for AI governance, and retraining employees to deploy generative AI. All of which is evidence that the value comes from changing how people work at a fundamental level, not just adding new software.
Macroeconomically, the scale of the shift is hard to overstate. The International Monetary Fund estimates that about 40% of global jobs are exposed to AI, with especially high exposure in advanced economies where knowledge work dominates. That exposure does not mean mass displacement by default, but it does mean widespread task redesign and skill shifts.
If firms execute well, the upside is significant. Goldman Sachs Research projects that generative AI could raise global GDP by roughly 7% over the next decade through productivity gains. That massive figure, about $7 trillion, captures why boards and investment committees are treating AI as a strategic, not incremental, change.
Future Proof Citywide unites the entire wealth and investment ecosystem
AI is not only a CTO topic. It touches portfolio research, client experience, compliance, product, distribution, operations, and everyday lifestyle. Future Proof Citywide brings these stakeholders together at scale: more than 4,000 anticipated attendees across RIAs, asset managers, allocators, fintechs, banks, and platforms; three content stages; hundreds of activations; and a citywide footprint that moves discussions out of ballrooms and into purpose-built environments.
The program is organized around four practical lenses that map to how firms actually create value:
- Invest in AI: how capital moves, what’s investable, and how portfolio construction changes
- Build with AI: real workflows, prototypes, and case studies from teams shipping now
- Grow with AI: firm design, talent, compliance, marketing, CX, and operating models
- Live with AI: leadership, ethics, human performance, and the broader impact
This cross-functional design reflects where the industry is heading. Pew Research Center data from the end of 2024 (which feels ancient at this point) showed that AI is already part of everyday life for the majority of Americans, and experts expect even more frequent interaction than the public reports. That consumer reality is now mirrored in enterprise behavior in finance.
A Hands-On Environment
Future Proof Citywide will combine strategic conversation with practical learning. Attendees can expect both high-level discussions about the future of the industry and opportunities to engage more directly with ideas, tools, and examples that bring AI to life in real business contexts.
Whether through collaborative sessions, interactive content, or peer-led exchanges, the experience will help professionals understand not just where the industry is going, but how they can move forward within it.
- Clarity on where their firm stands on the AI adoption curve relative to peers.
- Insight into where the industry is heading, both in the next year and in the next several years.
- A stronger sense of community and direction, focused on helping firms become truly AI-ready.
Building an AI-First Industry
Future Proof Citywide is designed to accelerate the wealth management industry toward being AI-first rather than reactive to disruption. By bringing together thousands of professionals to share, test, and learn from one another, the event aims to help firms shape the transformation rather than simply respond to it.
Future Proof Citywide will be where those conversations begin at scale and where the next generation of leaders commits to building the future of finance together.
Bottom line
Early 2026 is the inflection point between experimentation and execution. The research is clear: AI adoption is accelerating, exposure spans high-skill roles, and the productivity stakes are enormous.
Future Proof Citywide is where the industry organizes around that reality with the people who allocate capital, build products, run firms, and serve clients. Join more than 4,000 industry professionals creating the future of finance, together. Whether you are just starting your AI journey or an innovator at the front lines, this is where you want to be.
