UBS Uses AI Avatars to Turn Analyst Research Into Client Videos

Swiss bank UBS has begun using artificial intelligence to create avatar videos of its analysts—part of an effort to meet growing client demand for video content while reducing the time analysts spend on repetitive tasks.

The initiative, launched in January, uses tools from OpenAI and Synthesia to transform written research notes into short videos, narrated by digital avatars of UBS analysts. So far, 36 analysts—about 5% of UBS's global research team—have volunteered to take part. They cover a range of sectors including technology, consumer goods, and energy.

The AI-generated videos offer clients a new way to engage with research insights while helping analysts produce more multimedia content without time-consuming studio work.

Meeting Client Demand With Scalable Tools

UBS said the shift to video was driven by client preferences. “It also gives clients another way to digest information and meet their rising demand for video,” said Scott Solomon, head of global research technology at UBS.

Previously, UBS had experimented with analyst videos over the past decade, but production was limited to about 1,000 videos a year due to resource constraints. Analysts typically wrote two notes per week but only appeared in studio-recorded videos once per quarter. The new AI tools have made it possible to generate a video script in seconds, which is then reviewed and edited by UBS staff.

Solomon compared the avatar capability to standard analyst tools: “When an analyst joins UBS, we give them Excel, we give them our authoring platform, we give them a CRM tool so they can talk to clients. I want them to have an avatar.”

Toward Integrated, Automated Workflows

Looking ahead, UBS plans to integrate video production directly into its research publishing platform, allowing videos to be automatically generated when a note is written—without requiring manual editing.

Solomon said he hopes this level of automation could be in place by the end of the year. Still, UBS emphasized that analysts would remain responsible for reviewing videos before distribution to clients.

“We want to string all that together so that as they’re writing the note, they can get the video with it as well,” Solomon said. “Our goal is absolutely not to do 50,000 videos a year, but clearly there’s an opportunity to do more videos than we are today.”

UBS’s AI avatar approach reflects a broader trend in finance, where banks are using generative AI not just for productivity gains, but to improve how they serve clients. While other firms like Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have introduced internal AI assistants, UBS is among the first to apply the technology directly to client-facing research in video form.

What This Means

UBS’s use of AI-generated avatars marks a practical and highly visible example of how financial institutions are blending automation with human expertise. Rather than replacing analysts, the avatars serve as an extension of their work—delivering insights in a format that’s faster to produce and easier for clients to consume.

By embedding video creation into the research workflow, UBS is transforming how knowledge is shared—not just making analysts more efficient, but reshaping the client experience. If successful, this model could influence how other banks rethink communication in an AI-powered financial industry.

AI in finance isn’t just about speed or cost—it’s also about giving clients information the way they want it, without overloading the people producing it.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.