Artificial intelligence tools give personal finance advice that can be inaccurate, inconsistent and demographically biased — and the results vary significantly depending on which platform a user chooses. That is the central finding of a peer-reviewed study published last month in the Journal of Financial Planning, which tested seven widely available generative AI programs on identical financial scenarios. The research arrives as a large majority of American AI users are already turning to these tools for money guidance.
En bref
- —Seven major AI platforms tested on identical financial questions
- —Two in three American AI users already rely on it for financial advice
- —AI carries no fiduciary duty — it need not act in your best interest
Seven platforms, one test — and widely different answers on retirement and savings
Researchers at the University of Georgia and the University of Rome Tor Vergata queried seven generative AI platforms in August 2025 with an identical set of prompts covering three core personal finance scenarios: emergency savings, the optimal withdrawal rate from a retirement portfolio, and the recommended composition of an investment portfolio.
