Americans Embrace AI in Daily Life but Still Want Human Support With Their Financial Decisions, Survey from Addition Wealth Finds

Survey of 1,000 individuals looks at how Americans are using AI in daily life, and what they're doing with AI when it comes to their money 

NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Addition Wealth, the AI-native financial guidance platform that partners with financial institutions and employers, today released findings from its 2026 Future of Advice Survey: AI and Financial Guidance. The nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that while Americans have embraced AI in their everyday lives, they draw a distinction about how much they are willing to do with AI when their finances are involved.

Survey Highlights

• AI adoption is mainstream: Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans use AI regularly or occasionally in daily life.
• Financial decisions are different: Only 21% use AI as a primary source for financial decisions, while 14% fully trust it for financial guidance.
• Consumers want people in the loop: Nearly three-quarters (72%) want a human leading or actively involved when they're receiving financial guidance, and only 5% prefer guidance that is fully AI-driven.
• Trust is shaped more by demographics than income: Age emerged as the strongest predictor of AI trust, while trust levels remained consistent across income brackets.

Americans Use AI Every Day. Financial Decisions Are Different

AI has become a routine part of daily life, with nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans reporting they use AI regularly or occasionally. Financial decisions, however, remain an exception. Only 21% of respondents say they regularly use AI as a primary source for financial decisions, while another 33% use it occasionally as a secondary resource. Just 14% fully trust AI for financial decisions, 21% trust it only for educational purposes, and nearly one-quarter (24%) say they do not trust AI for financial decisions at all.

"Consumers are increasingly comfortable with AI helping them navigate financial decisions, but they continue to place a premium on human judgment, oversight, and accountability when money is on the line," said Ana Mahony, founder and CEO of Addition Wealth "That's consistent with what we see at Addition Wealth. People will turn to a platform and leverage AI for a lot of their financial questions, but often choose to connect with a financial advisor when they want greater confidence around more consequential decisions."

Consumers Want AI to Support Decisions, Not Replace People

When asked what would increase trust in AI for financial decisions, respondents ranked human oversight first (42%), slightly ahead of privacy and data protections (37%), transparency around how decisions are made (36%), backing from a trusted financial institution (30%), proven accuracy (28%), and personalized recommendations (27%).

That preference is also reflected in how Americans want financial decisions supported. Nearly four in ten (39%) prefer human-led financial guidance supported by AI, while another 33% want guidance exclusively from a person. Just 14% are comfortable with AI-led guidance with optional human support, and only 5% prefer guidance that is fully AI-driven. Taken together, nearly three-quarters (72%) want a human leading or actively involved when making financial decisions.

Trust in AI Depends More on Age Than Income

Age emerged as the strongest predictor of trust in AI for financial decisions. Adults ages 18 to 34 fully trust AI at more than five times the rate of adults 55 to 64 (21% versus 4%) and use AI regularly for financial decisions at nearly three times the rate (29% versus 10%). Nearly half (48%) of adults 55 to 64 say they want financial guidance exclusively from a person, compared with 28% of younger adults.

The survey also found meaningful differences by gender. Men fully trust AI for financial decisions at nearly twice the rate of women (18% versus 10%), while women are 73% more likely than men to say they do not trust AI for financial decisions at all.

One notable finding: income did not meaningfully influence trust. While overall AI adoption increased with income, the percentage of respondents who fully trust AI for financial decisions remained consistent across income brackets: 12% among those earning under $50,000, 16% among those earning $50,000–$100,000, and 17% among those earning more than $100,000 annually.

Americans Already See Where AI Fits in Their Financial Lives

The survey identified clear areas where consumers are already comfortable incorporating AI into financial decision-making. Saving and investing ranked highest (42%), followed by tax-related questions (35%) and budgeting and day-to-day money management (34%), and debt management (30%).

Comfort declined as financial decisions became more consequential with just 21% saying they would consider using AI for major financial decisions like buying a home, reinforcing the broader finding that consumers see AI as a tool to inform decisions rather than make them.

Survey Methodology

Addition Wealth's 2026 Future of Advice Survey: AI and Financial Guidance was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18–64 across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The survey was fielded in April 2026, and the sample was balanced by gender and included respondents across a broad range of household income levels, educational backgrounds, employment statuses, and parental statuses.

The complete findings from the 2026 Future of Advice Survey: AI and Financial Guidance, including additional charts, and methodology, is available here.

About Addition Wealth

Addition Wealth is the AI-native financial guidance platform for financial institutions and employers to offer to the individuals and employees they serve, on a mission to make personalized financial expertise inclusive and accessible to all. Built by a team from leading tech and financial services companies, the platform brings together multi-source data to deliver proactive, personalized guidance at every financial moment that matters. Addition Wealth is live with Fortune 500 financial institutions and works across banking, wealth management, retirement, and insurance, driving guidance and conversion at scale. Learn more at additionwealth.com.

Media Contact

Liang Zhao
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SOURCE Addition Wealth