In a surprising twist of fate, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming the go-to financial advisor for many Canadians. Close to a third of Canadians are now using AI for help with money matters, says new data from the BMO Real Financial Progress Index.
AI is raising the bar for everything from budgeting to investment strategies. But it doesn’t stop at number crunching! Even a personal finance course is now taught through AI setting up household budgets and updating financial plans.
But here’s the kicker: It’s the younger crowd who’s really digging this new novelty. An astronomical 55% of respondents in the Gen Z category are using AI to manage their investments. That’s more than any other age group!
“AI is a game-changer,” says Gayle Ramsay, head of Everyday Banking Segment and Customer Growth at BMO. It can process information and generate ideas in the wink of an eye. But our relationship with money isn’t just about cold, hard facts. It’s personal and emotional too.
Thus, while AI increases financial literacy and helps make smarter money decisions, Ramsay suggests doing so hand-in-hand with a human expert. It’s this double whammy, she thinks, that may help more Canadians get better with their money and hit those financial goals. To that effect, 44 percent of Canadians believe AI-powered tools can help them better advance their finances. That’s almost half the country putting faith in robots to help them get richer!
Beyond a changing trend in the way people handle their money, it is shaking up the entire financial industry. This, therefore, finds banks and other financial institutions evolving to include more AI-powered services to be in line with the demand at hand.
But of course, things are never that smooth. With more and more people seeking financial advice from AI, questions of data privacy and the trust one can put in the advice issued by an AI robo-advisor, this whole process is becoming all too real. After all, placing trust in a computer with one’s life savings is a big step. While this raises some concern, the trend is likely too irresistible to revert.
With technologies in AI continuing to develop more and growing quite user-friendly, most Canadians will likely turn to their digital assistants for even more financial guidance. So, in the end, for tech-savvy Gen Z-ers or traditional investors, the message is clear: AI is here to stay in personal finance. The challenge will lie in finding the proper balance between high-tech help and human know-how in making your money work for you.
Acknowledgment: This article was inspired by and includes information from "One Third of Canadians Use AI to Manage Finances: BMO" published on BnnBloomberg.ca. For more detailed insights, you can read the full article here.
