Advisors may feel threatened by so-called robo-advisors, but they should be more concerned about artificial intelligence, WealthManagement.com AI, a computer science that analyses data to make predictions or solve problems, could replace up to 45% of U.S. jobs within 20 years, according to Oxford University. Those include higher-complexity roles like accountants and financial advisors. "Financial advisors give advice based on the market and based on long-term trends, and that's exactly what machines are good at," AI expert James Barrat tells WealthManagement.com. Already, an IBM Watson team is working on applying the system to wealth management--from identifying clients' investment preferences to identifying those who are likely to leave an advisor.