Over the past year, we’ve examined AI from several perspectives: the tasks advisors trust it with, where consumers have lost money relying on it, and why many advisors believe it will redefine — not replace — their role. New research adds another layer to that conversation, showing that despite AI’s rapid rise, most Americans still prefer human guidance when it comes to their finances.

This comes from a recent Gallup survey that shows despite the explosion in AI adoption, only 18% of U.S. adults have turned to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for financial guidance over the past year. Professional financial advisors (32%) remain a significantly more common source of advice, while old-fashioned internet research (73%) continues to dominate.

The generational differences are worth watching as 26% of Gen Z and 25% of millennials have already used AI for financial guidance, compared to just 7% of baby boomers. Younger investors are clearly more comfortable incorporating AI into their financial lives, even if they aren’t fully replacing human advice.

That distinction matters. Clients may increasingly use AI before they call an advisor, much like they Google symptoms before visiting a doctor. The first conversation may no longer start with, “What should I do?” but rather, “AI suggested this, what do you think?” That shifts part of the advisor’s role from being the primary source of information, to becoming the interpreter, validator, and strategist.

Whether clients begin with a Google search, an advisor’s website, or a chatbot, AI is increasingly woven into the experience. The question is no longer whether clients will encounter AI — it’s whether they’ll have someone who can help them evaluate what it’s telling them.

The takeaway isn’t that advisors need to compete with AI for answers. It’s that clients will increasingly arrive with more answers — and more questions. Information is increasingly a commodity. Trust remains a differentiator.

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