Young investors trust AI more than TV or celebrities

New research focused on 18- to 40-year-olds who own or are considering investments showed that 56% trust AI tools, more than TV and radio (47%), press (46%) or social media influencers (29%).

And people are getting more comfortable, with two-thirds expecting to lean on AI even more over the next year.

But the research from the FCA also revealed that these investors may be misunderstanding the level of protection if they rely on AI to support their investing decisions:

• Almost half (44%) mistakenly believe AI-generated financial information is regulated.
• More than 1 in 3 (38%) believe it’s fine to make an investment decision based solely on the outputs of AI.
• Around a third (32%) wrongly think they'd get compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) or Financial Ombudsman Service if AI advice went wrong.

But almost three quarters (73%) know that AI can provide inaccurate information. And 86% understood the need to check the sources referenced when using AI. It’s vital investors remember this when they’re using AI to research an investment.

General purpose AI chatbots are not regulated, although tools which are specifically set up to provide financial advice would be likely to fall within the FCA’s remit.

Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments at the FCA, said:

'AI can help you research companies, understand jargon or explore options before you make a decision.

'But you need to understand how you’re protected and continue to use your own judgement. Our InvestSmart website can also help you make more informed decisions.'

Here are 5 tips for using AI safely when it comes to your money:

1. Stay in the driving seat. AI can inform your decisions, but the final call is yours.
2. Check your sources. Ask the AI where it got its information from, then verify it yourself.
3. Know there's no safety net. Unlike regulated financial advice, AI-generated tips from general-purpose chatbots mean you are not covered if things go wrong.
4. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. AI can only provide you with historical data, it cannot predict how your investment will perform.
5. Think long-term. Investing isn't a get-rich-quick scheme, whether the tip came from AI or your mate down the pub.

Learn more about investing and risk on the FCA’s InvestSmart website[2].

Notes to editors:

• General purpose AI tools are not regulated by the FCA. These tools can respond to a variety of prompts and topics but aren’t set up to help consumers with financial advice, research, or decision-making. This differs from a tool deployed specifically to provide financial advice, which would be likely to fall within our remit.
• This research was conducted by the FCA via the platform Attest using a quantitative usage and attitudes (U&A) study. The survey was conducted on 24 July 2026 to understand consumer adoption, trust, comfort, and future expectations regarding the use of AI tools for personal investment research and financial decision-making in the UK market.
• The sample comprised 666 respondents based in the United Kingdom, open to all adults across the 18 to 40 age range. All participants either currently own investments or would consider buying investments in the next 12 months.