Investing.com — Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a core part of how retail investors approach the markets, according to a new survey from Investing.com.
The survey of 938 U.S.-based investors found that 62% have used AI tools to help inform investment decisions, underscoring how rapidly the technology is being adopted across the retail investing landscape. Among respondents, usage spans a wide range of engagement levels, with roughly one in four using AI regularly and another 27% using it occasionally, while others are still experimenting with the technology.
Among those already using AI, many say it is delivering tangible results. Sixty-five percent report that AI has improved their investment performance, including investors who say it has significantly (17%) or somewhat (48%) enhanced their results. By comparison, 33% say AI has made no difference, while just 2% report worse performance.
“Arguably, there are only a handful of industries in which AI has proven as disruptive as quickly as it has in the financial industry,” said Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at Investing.com. “This is even more pronounced for retail investors, where access to sophisticated tools is expanding rapidly.”
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AI tools are most commonly used to support research and idea generation. The survey found that more than 60% of investors use AI to research stocks or other assets, while roughly one-third use it to better understand market news or generate trading ideas, highlighting its growing role in everyday investing workflows. AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are among the most widely used tools, with 54% of respondents reporting experience using them for investment-related research.
Despite growing adoption, the survey also highlights a degree of caution among investors. A majority say they verify AI-generated insights with other sources, with 54% indicating they trust AI only somewhat, while smaller groups say they trust it mostly (20%) or completely (4%). At the same time, nearly one in four express limited or no trust in AI-generated analysis.
“At this stage of rapid development and early adoption, it is natural for investors to question the accuracy of the AI models they’re working with,” Monteiro added. “That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that they distrust AI technology for financial markets as a whole. The question for these investors is not whether to use AI, but how to separate what’s truly game-changing from what’s just hype.”
Looking ahead, the trend appears set to continue. More than half of respondents (55%) say they expect to increase their use of AI tools, including 38% who plan to use them significantly more, pointing to continued growth as the technology becomes more embedded in investing platforms.
Investors also point to clear advantages driving adoption. Nearly 40% say AI allows faster analysis of market data, while others highlight its ability to reduce emotional decision-making (15%) and identify opportunities earlier (14%). However, 20% say they see no real advantage, underscoring the mixed perceptions that still exist.
At the same time, concerns remain. The most commonly cited risks include incorrect or misleading recommendations (39%), market herding (24%), and over-reliance on automation (21%), while 8% point to a lack of transparency in AI models. Notably, only 8% of respondents say they have no concerns about AI in investing.
The findings come as financial platforms continue to expand their AI capabilities, making advanced data analysis and research tools more widely available to everyday investors. Still, behavior suggests a measured approach: while adoption is rising, just 22% say they use AI very often, compared to 37% who use it only sometimes and 16% who use it rarely, reinforcing that AI remains a supplement rather than a constant in most investors’ workflows.
See the full survey results here. *English only