UBS Gives Its Analysts an AI Clone—Accent (Almost) Included

UBS is stepping into the generative AI spotlight with a new internal tool that turns its financial analysts into digital avatars capable of delivering research insights on-demand. Using a combo of OpenAI’s language models and Synthesia’s avatar tech, the Zurich-based bank now scripts reports and lets analysts approve AI-generated videos that feature surprisingly lifelike versions of themselves. This isn’t about replacing humans outright—each video is clearly labeled as AI-generated—and the program is fully opt-in with HR approval baked into the roll-out plan.

The real motivation? Video hunger from clients and a choke point in studio capacity. While UBS puts out 50,000 research documents a year, its traditional video output holds steady at just 1,000 due to resource limits. With the new AI-powered process, that number could climb to 5,000 annually, helping the bank keep up with clients conditioned by TikTok's video-first norms. There is a snag, though: some avatars have trouble replicating analysts’ accents, occasionally flattening out the personality that makes the real experts so compelling.

It’s a smart swing at scaling content with a "human" face — and it’s certainly more efficient than having analysts spend hours in hair and makeup. UBS is careful to position the tech as a time-saver, not a job-taker, though it comes amid broader industry conversations about AI’s role in automating high-paying, white-collar work. Financial firms everywhere will be watching closely to see if this virtual analyst approach gains traction—or just uncanny valley side-eye.

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