Morningstar launches Direct AI agents for product, distribution and manager research

Morningstar released Direct AI on Wednesday, a browser-based platform that turns its research into agents for asset managers, fund distribution teams and manager research. The company says the tool is available to users worldwide now.

Direct AI includes a Product Development Agent, a Distribution Agent and a Manager Research Agent. The Product Development Agent is pitched at asset managers weighing product positioning and launch decisions; it combines data and category analysis to answer questions about products, competitors and their relative financial success. The Distribution Agent draws on Morningstar classifications and portfolio tools, including analysis of portfolios holding both public and private securities, to show how a fund would fit an approved list or model portfolio and generate talking points for client reviews. The Manager Research Agent applies the framework Morningstar's own analysts use to assess strategies.

Morningstar said the agents draw on the company's data, analytics, research and ratings, much of it produced by 1,100 research analysts, and can parse equities, funds and fixed income. Morningstar has also supplied its investment intelligence to Claude, Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, so buyers can reach the same content through third-party assistants or through Morningstar's own interface.

Morningstar's PitchBook data already reaches plan fiduciaries through a Google Gemini integration, as this publication reported; Direct AI adds a Morningstar-hosted option to that workflow. The announcement gives no pricing for the platform.