New York, NY, April 6, 2026 — Nearly two-thirds of U.S.
retail investors are now using artificial intelligence to help
inform investment decisions, according to a new
Investing.com survey of 938 American investors, underscoring how quickly AI
tools are becoming integrated into the retail investing landscape.
The survey found that 62% of respondents say they have used AI
tools to assist with investment decisions, highlighting the
growing role artificial intelligence is playing in how investors
research markets, analyze opportunities, and generate trading
ideas.
“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
companies can now offer access to all types of financial-grade
tools at a fraction of what they cost just a couple of years ago.”
Among respondents, 24% say they use AI tools regularly, while 27%
say they use them occasionally and 11% say they have experimented
with them once or twice. Meanwhile, 21% say they have not yet used
AI but are considering it, and 17% say they do not plan to use AI
tools for investing at all.
The survey also suggests that many investors believe the
technology is improving their results. Roughly 65% of investors
who have used AI say it has improved their performance in the
market, including 17% who say their performance improved
significantly and 48% who say it improved somewhat.
“Broad access to complex financial models is rapidly levelling the
playing field, enabling retail investors to compete at largely the
same level as professional investors,” Monteiro added. “In the
near future, those who lack access to these models could
potentially be left behind, as the gap between good and bad
decision-making widens due to the increasing sophistication of the
market.”
AI tools are increasingly being used across a wide range of
investing activities. According to the survey:
-
62% of respondents say they use AI to research stocks or other
assets -
35% use AI to better understand financial news and market
developments -
34% use AI to generate investment or trading ideas -
22% use AI to assist with portfolio decisions
Among specific tools, AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are the most
widely used, with 54% of respondents saying they have used them
for investing-related research.
At the same time, the survey highlights that many investors remain
cautious about relying entirely on AI-generated insights. 54% say
they trust AI-generated analysis only somewhat and typically
verify the information using other sources, while 23% say they
trust it either mostly or completely.
Looking ahead, many investors expect their use of AI tools to
increase. More than half of respondents say they expect to use AI
more in the future, including 38% who say they plan to use it
significantly more.
The survey also found that investors see several key advantages in
AI-powered investing tools. Nearly 40% say AI allows them to
analyze market data faster, while 15% say it helps reduce
emotional decision-making and improve discipline in their
investment strategies.
However, respondents also identified several concerns surrounding
AI-driven investing. 39% say they worry about incorrect or
misleading recommendations, 24% worry that widespread AI use could
create market herding, and 21% say they are concerned about
investors becoming overly reliant on automated tools.
The findings come as financial platforms increasingly introduce
AI-powered tools designed to help investors analyze markets and
generate insights more quickly.
Additional findings from the survey—including detailed
breakdowns of how investors are using AI and how frequently they
rely on these tools—are available in the full analysis on
the Investing.com blog.
Read the full survey results here:
https://www.investing.com/blog/how-retail-investors-are-using-ai-in-2026-339
Methodology
The survey was conducted March 3–10, 2026, and is based on
responses from 938 American adult investors from Investing.com’s
user database.
About Investing.com
Investing.com is a leading global financial platform providing
real-time data, tools, and market analysis across more than
120,000 financial instruments. With editions in 33 languages, it
serves over 60 million monthly users seeking actionable insights
for smarter investing. The company continues to expand its
AI-powered InvestingPro suite—including WarrenAI and
ProPicks AI—designed to make professional-level analysis
accessible to every investor.
