Updated
Updated · MyNorthwest · Aug 7
Gallup Finds 1 in 5 Americans Use AI for Money Advice as Only 3 in 10 Trust It
Updated
Updated · MyNorthwest · Aug 7

Gallup Finds 1 in 5 Americans Use AI for Money Advice as Only 3 in 10 Trust It

3 articles · Updated · MyNorthwest · Aug 7

Summary

  • A Gallup survey of 5,075 U.S. adults found about 20% of people who sought financial advice in the past year used AI, even though only 30% of adults overall said they had at least some confidence in its expertise.
  • Just 3% said they trust AI "a great deal," underscoring a gap between use and confidence as consumers increasingly turn to low-cost digital tools for basic financial questions.
  • Internet research remained the dominant source at 73% among advice-seekers, while only about one-third used a professional financial adviser despite roughly 8 in 10 adults saying they have at least some confidence in advisers.
  • Age split the results: about a quarter of Gen Z and millennial advice-seekers used AI, versus 16% of Gen X and 7% of baby boomers, while adviser use climbed from 14% of Gen Z to 55% of boomers.
  • Financial experts said AI can help explain concepts and point users to sources, but it lacks fiduciary duty, leaving consumers responsible for decisions based on its guidance.

Insights

If Americans trust human financial advisers, why are millions secretly turning to chatbots for their money management instead?
Could relying on AI for your retirement planning secretly expose you to hidden biases and catastrophic financial shocks?
When a machine with no legal duty gives disastrous investment advice, who is ultimately left paying the price?