Almost half of retail investors now turning to AI

Preliminary results from the Australian Retail Investor Confidence survey by Chartered Accountants ANZ (CA ANZ) show that 48 per cent of respondents with more than $10,000 invested in the market rely on AI platforms such as ChatGPT or Co-Pilot.

Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of users said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the information provided.

CA ANZ CEO Ainslie van Onselen said the results underscore a major shift in investor behaviour.

“We have seen adoption of AI grow rapidly for both personal and professional use, but it is interesting to see investors are using it to guide where their money goes,” she said.

Trust remains a limiting factor, with 43 per cent of non-users citing a lack of confidence in AI outputs and 46 per cent preferring established sources.

Breaking down the figures, the data showed that younger investors are leading adoption, with 78 per cent of 18–29-year-olds using AI, while male investors are more likely than female investors to rely heavily on the technology (15 per cent versus 9 per cent).

Among dissatisfied or neutral AI users, 40 per cent cited trust issues.

CA ANZ Chief Economist Professor Richard Holden said the growing use of AI tools reinforces the importance of reliable financial data.

“The increasing use of AI tools in investment decision-making highlights the importance of having high-quality and reliable financial data for training these models, which support investors in making informed decisions,” he said.

The survey also found a six-point jump in confidence in Australian companies.

The Federal Election boosted investor confidence, with 42 per cent saying it increased their willingness to invest, citing economic improvement (55 per cent) and confidence in government capability (41 per cent). In contrast, confidence in international markets fell, with willingness to invest outside Australia dropping from 78 per cent to 73 per cent.

According to Adviser Ratings, the number of Australian advice firms using or planning to integrate AI has jumped from less than half (45 per cent) last year to 74 per cent in the 2025 Australian Financial Advice Landscape report.

Highlighting Australian advisers’ growing acceptance of AI, Adviser Ratings reported that just 13 per cent of practices said they have no plans to use AI, a significant drop from 38 per cent in 2024.

“As we look toward the future, the trajectory is clear: AI adoption in financial advice will continue accelerating. Australian practices are not just participating in this revolution but leading the charge, with implementation rates outpacing global averages,” the firm said.

For those already utilising the technology, the most common use is in file note creation and meeting documentation (86 per cent) as they look to streamline “traditionally time-consuming tasks”.

This was followed by use for client engagement tools such as newsletter production (53 per cent), marketing (48 per cent), and statement of advice (SOA) or record of advice (ROA) production (46 per cent).