Only 21% use AI as primary financial source

Nearly three-quarters of Americans use artificial intelligence regularly or occasionally in daily life. Only 21% use it as the primary source for a financial decision, and 24% say they don't trust it for financial decisions at all. Just 14% fully trust AI for financial guidance. The figures come from the 2026 Future of Advice Survey by Addition Wealth, an AI-native financial guidance platform, which polled 1,000 U.S. adults. One-third of respondents use AI occasionally, as a secondary resource.

The appetite for automation has clear bounds. 72% want a human leading or actively involved when they receive financial guidance. When asked how guidance should be delivered, 39% chose human-led guidance supported by AI, 33% want guidance exclusively from a person, 14% accept AI-led guidance with optional human support, and 5% prefer fully AI-driven guidance. Only one in 20 wants the machine to run the conversation on its own.

What would increase trust in AI for financial decisions? Respondents ranked human oversight first, at 42%, ahead of privacy and data protections at 37%, transparency about how decisions are made at 36%, backing from a trusted financial institution at 30%, proven accuracy at 28%, and personalization at 27%. The ordering is the finding: accuracy is not the threshold for trust; accountability is.

Ana Mahony, founder and CEO of Addition Wealth, said consumers are comfortable with AI helping them navigate financial questions but "continue to place a premium on human judgment, oversight, and accountability when money is on the line."

For advisers, the survey is a practical answer to the client who asks why they still need a person. The tool that amplifies the adviser is acceptable; the tool that tries to replace the adviser is not. The 21% figure is a citation worth keeping in the next AI conversation, whether with a client or a technology vendor.