Investments & Wealth Institute CEO Sean Walters Calls for a Higher Standard of Human Advice as AI Expands
Oct 27, 2026 12:00:00 AM
October 27, 2026 - Denver, CO — Sean Walters, CEO of the Investments & Wealth Institute, has published “As AI Expands, the Standard for Human Advice Must Rise” in WealthManagement.com. In the column, he explains how the value of advice shifts from supplying information to applying expertise and judgment as clients gain access to many of the same capabilities advisors use.
“AI raises the capabilities available to investors and advisors alike,” Walters writes. As those tools reach clients directly, he says, an advisor’s value “will depend less on possessing information clients cannot obtain elsewhere” and more on interpreting that information for each client’s circumstances.
Advisors need deep knowledge to catch flawed AI output, Walters notes, especially for high-net-worth families with planning needs that span taxes, estates, business interests, and several generations. He also cites the Institute’s September 2025 update to the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification, which placed greater emphasis on behavioral finance, investor psychology, ethics, and family dynamics.
He urges firms to develop advisor expertise as seriously as they train staff on AI tools, and to put the time AI saves into work that depends on judgment. Drawing on Howard Gardner and Lee Shulman’s framework for what defines a profession, Walters points out that AI can handle much of an advisor’s specialized knowledge and a growing share of practice. Commitment to clients, judgment under uncertainty, and professional oversight remain human work.
Read the full article: As AI Expands, the Standard for Human Advice Must Rise
For more information, contact Carly Augeri, Director of Marketing Communications, Investments & Wealth Institute, at +1 707-681-1243 or at caugeri@i-w.org.
About Investments & Wealth Institute
Founded in 1985, the Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications-Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) certifications-the Institute delivers Ivy league-quality, highly-practical education to more than 30,000 practitioners.