It started as a ripple in the tech world, but by early 2026, the AI wave has officially breached the heavy oak doors of the financial district. For years, banks and investment firms have relied on algorithms to speed up work. But the launch of Claude Cowork in February, changed the game.
This isn’t just a smarter calculator. It’s a set of AI agents that can handle the “grunt work” that junior analysts usually do tasks that once took hours can now be done in minutes. The reaction was immediate. Traditional software stocks, including giants like Thomson Reuters and Salesforce, saw massive selloffs. Investors realized that the “moat” protecting professional workflows was shrinking fast.
Amid this, Bengaluru-based finfluencer Shashank Udupa posted a video that struck a nerve. Coming from a SEBI-registered professional, it was a rare admission that AI tools have caught up to even veteran human expertise. In the video, Udupa says he has been warning that IT jobs are under pressure. But now, he feels finance may be next. The trigger? New tools from Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude that, according to him, can generate detailed Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) models and equity research reports in just five to seven minutes.
‘I might not have a job because of Claude’
“Last week, I kept saying that IT jobs are in trouble, but this week, I might not be in a job because Claude has just launched something called Claude Plugins, but for financial analysts and research. They have launched investment banking tools,” Udupa said in the video.
He continued, “This tool can go through a company, make a DCF report, DCF model very fast, can make equity research reports very fast. All of this can be done in 5-7 minutes, which would take someone like me after so many years of experience, would take at least maybe 30 to 40 minutes to build a DCF, and for junior analysts, could go up to even an hour.”
His concern is clear, if AI can do the heavy lifting, scanning annual reports, analysing industry data, building valuation models, will firms still need junior research analysts? What happens to the thousands of CFA and CA aspirants in India hoping to break into investment banking?
“I think finance is now going into disruption mode. Let’s see what happens. This is still the first update that’s come in. I’m pretty sure more are coming in, and accounting is also not safe at all. So yeah, tech is gone, finance is going. Let’s see what’s next,” he said, half in disbelief, half in warning.
The latest update to Claude includes something called “Agent Skills.” It also connects with big financial data providers like FactSet and the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). These are not small tools. These are the same data sources professionals use every day. Junior investment banking analysts, who prepare pitch decks and comparable company analysis, may find that much of their early work can now be automated.
In equity research, AI can go through earnings call transcripts and prepare the first draft of reports. In audit and accounting, AI can pull data from messy documents, something that usually takes hours of careful checking.
“AI is a tool, not a boss”
Not everyone agrees that this is the end of finance jobs. Comment section remains filled with divided opinions. Akshat Sharma, a data architect, said that while these AI tools are impressive, they still lack the “maturity to independently solve complex problems without human validation.” In other words, you still need a human to check the work. Others brought up a recent case where an audit firm faced heavy fines because AI-generated reports were full of errors. For them, this was proof that AI cannot be fully trusted yet.
One commenter said, “It’s like saying the calculator will replace all mathematicians.” Many professionals believe AI is more of an assistant than a replacement. They see it as something that helps speed up work, not something that takes away the chair you’re sitting on.
But not everyone felt calm either. Some young analysts openly admitted they were worried. “It took me a lot to learn how to build a DCF and now this,” one user wrote. The discussion even moved towards a “Post-AI Economy.” If white-collar jobs shrink, who will have the money to invest, to buy stocks, to pay for financial services?
Early data from 2026 shows that entry-level job postings for those under 25 are shrinking. At the same time, experienced professionals who can apply judgment and real-world understanding are becoming more valuable. The basic, repetitive work, the kind often given to freshers, is being automated. But the need for human decision-making has not disappeared.