Advisors and AI: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and What’s Next with Mat Matthews, Advisor360

AI isn’t coming for advisors’ jobs. It is quietly reshaping what clients expect, how firms differentiate, and where true value lies. The challenge is simple: will you be transparent about the technology supporting your work or let clients fill in the blanks themselves?In this episode of Visionary Advisor, Alex Kirby (founder of Total Family) sits down with Mat Matthews, Chief Product and Engineering Officer at Advisor360, for a candid conversation about the 2026 Connected Wealth Report and the realities of AI in wealth management. Mat brings a product leader’s clarity to what’s actually changing, what’s just noise, and what matters most for client relationships.The discussion explores why most advisors use AI daily but rarely talk about it with clients and how this silence can create mistrust instead of confidence. Mat and Alex get practical about where AI is delivering value now, why trust still builds slowly, and how firms are scrambling to keep policies current as technology evolves. They also consider how clients’ own use of AI is raising the stakes for transparency and what it means for advisors to move from data wrangling to truly holistic guidance.For advisors wrestling with rapid change, compliance pressures, and rising client expectations, this episode offers a grounded look at what it means to serve families well in a new era.What You’ll Learn in This Episode04:20 How advisor attitudes about AI have shifted from fear to guarded optimism within a year05:30 Leading AI use cases today, including meeting summaries, CRM, and administrative workflows05:57 Current boundaries around what advisors trust AI to handle, versus what stays human09:13 Why developing clear policies around AI is now essential for your firm20:28 The consequences of not proactively discussing AI with clients, and why avoidance is not neutral25:08 How clients’ growing familiarity with AI affects their advisor relationships29:48 What makes human judgment, empathy, and relationship-building irreplaceable30:22 The expanding role of advisors as generalists managing the full picture of a client’s life, not just investmentsNotable Quotes from Mat Matthews“You’ve got this weird scenario where three quarters of the industry is benefiting from this new technology, but they’re barely mentioning it to the people it’s supposed to serve.”“When advisors avoid the topic (AI), they’re not creating neutrality. They’re creating a vacuum. And the vacuum is going to get filled by the client.”“Trust is the product in this industry. It’s not a feature. It is the actual service that’s being provided.”“I think the firms play a big role in being on the forefront in saying, 'Here's how we’re using AI responsibly to provide you with better outcomes, with the guardrails and the safety controls that we know are important.'"“If your role is just in data aggregation, to me that’s pretty small… The really good advisors are just going to be helping people with advice.”Resources2026 Connected Wealth Report, Advisor360Advisor360There’s An AI For That (daily newsletter)Total FamilyAI ToolsClaudeGoogle GeminiChatGPTPerplexityLovableHarvard Business Review - The Future Is Shrouded in an AI FogStay Connected with Visionary AdvisorWe believe wealth is well-being. Subscribe to the Visionary Advisor Newsletter for practical tools and ideas to serve families across generations.Explore more at totalfamily.io | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch episode clips on YouTubeSend us feedbackStay Connected with Visionary Advisor We believe wealth is well-being. Subscribe to the Visionary Advisor Newsletter for practical tools and ideas to serve families across generations. Explore more at totalfamily.io | Follow us on LinkedIn |  Watch episode clips on YouTube