Americans are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) in finance, and this change is expected to continue accelerating as younger generations embrace technology in their financial decisions and expect tangible, measurable improvements.
According to a new study by Plaid and Harris Poll, 55% of Americans have used AI for financial tasks within the past 12 months, and 50% predict that managing money without AI will soon feel outdated. These numbers demonstrate how AI has become an essential infrastructure for modern personal finance.
These findings also show that consumers are no longer satisfied with apps that simply display their data, but expect apps that understand that data, anticipate their needs, and take action on their behalf to ease the burden of managing their finances.
This trend is especially evident among younger generations, where AI is closely associated with success. 62% of Millennials and Gen Zers born between 1981 and 2012 believe that AI skills are essential to financial well-being, and believe that AI is an essential skill set for navigating a complex economy.
Fear of technological exclusion is also accelerating adoption. 48% of Millennials and Gen Z worry that they will fall behind financially if they don’t adopt AI tools, and 62% feel that AI tools will open up economic opportunities that don’t currently exist. The same holds true for 50% of Gen
visible improvement
The survey, conducted in February 2026, found that more than 2,000 U.S. adults are feeling more comfortable using AI in finance, with half of all consumers reporting that they feel more comfortable using AI-driven financial tools than they did a year ago.
High expectations for AI are driving adoption as U.S. consumers turn to technology for measurable improvements in their financial well-being. 60% of respondents expect AI to save them time managing their financial lives, 58% believe AI will make managing their money less stressful, 56% expect AI to help them save money and invest more, and 53% expect AI to take the guesswork out of financial decisions.
Usage is directly supported by value extraction. Compared to casual users, AI-powered users showed significantly greater financial confidence (+15%), more progress toward long-term goals (+15%), and more informed financial decisions (+14%).
Expanding financial literacy
Beyond efficiency, AI is democratizing the understanding of finance. 64% of U.S. consumers agree that AI is making financial advice more accessible.
This shift represents a shift in trust, especially among younger generations. 52% of Millennials and Gen Z said they would feel more comfortable sharing financial information with an AI than explaining their financial situation to a human.
Accessibility and perseverance will further drive adoption. 51% of US consumers look to AI over human advisors because of their 24/7 availability, and 45% value their patience when explaining things.
Specifically, 40% of consumers feel that AI is less judgmental than talking to a human, and 39% say they are more comfortable asking so-called “stupid” questions or basic financial questions. This highlights the unique role of AI as an educational tool.
Additionally, AI is empowering those traditionally excluded from the financial system, turning denial into a roadmap. Among Americans who have been denied credit, AI is helping them master the very subjects they need to regain financial access, including understanding credit scores (43%), investing basics (37%), budgeting (37%), and debt repayment strategies (32%).
Optimize your money in real time
The findings also reveal a rapid shift towards high-stakes financial institutions. At the top of the pyramid, 63% of American consumers believe that AI can react to market changes faster than human investors, and 57% expect AI agents to eventually outperform human traders.
This confirms growing consumer confidence in AI’s superior speed and analytical capabilities, and signals AI’s steady transition to becoming a trusted decision maker in a volatile market.
This sentiment is supported by a desire to automate the cognitive overheads of daily life, such as tracking and budgeting (47%), managing recurring expenses (43%), and adjusting monthly savings based on fluctuating income (39%).
Human oversight remains essential
Despite their enthusiasm for AI, Americans still value supervised autonomy. Even among users who are ready to delegate to an AI agent, 41% require a verification step before taking an action, 40% want strong identity verification before taking an action, and 40% want the ability to undo or undo actions if possible.
These findings reveal that trust is directly tied to the ability to oversee and, if necessary, override user actions, suggesting that users are embracing AI as a collaborator rather than a replacement.
These results are consistent with broader global trends. The 2026 EY Global AI Sentiment Study, which surveyed more than 18,000 people across 23 countries, found that the adoption of AI in financial services has accelerated over the past six months due to increased consumer appetite for practical use cases.
49% of respondents said they had used AI to support savings and investment decisions, 21% said they had used an AI agent to recommend financial products, and 18% said they had used AI for budgeting, household management, and transaction support.
Beyond usage, demand for personalized financial guidance is also driving adoption. 37% said they believe it would be “very” or “extremely” helpful for AI to provide personalized financial advice based on users’ data and preferences, or to automate billing and financial decision-making processes.
Taking it a step further, in the past six months, 14% of respondents said they had allowed an AI to choose a financial service provider for them, and 11% said they had let an AI manage their finances with little or no human intervention.
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