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Millennials and Gen Zers have entered the world of investing with a tech-first mindset, as 41% of both generations say they would entrust an AI assistant to manage their investments—nearly three times the rate of Baby Boomers.
From sleek AI-enabled robo-advisors to the stock-picking prowess of AI-powered exchange-traded funds (ETFs), artificial intelligence is transforming how we build and monitor portfolios in the digital age.
If you haven’t yet dipped your toes into AI‑driven finance, here’s what you might be missing.
Key Takeaways
- More than 40% of millennials and Gen Zers say they would allow an AI assistant to manage their investments.
- They are more likely than other generations to use AI in investing.
- AI tools range from robo-advisors to chatbots and analytics engines.
Ways To Invest With AI
In a 2024 survey across 13 economies, the World Economic Forum found that millennials and Gen Zers are significant early adopters of AI, with 41% of each group indicating comfort using AI tools to help manage their investments. That’s compared with 29% of Gen Xers and just 14% of Baby Boomers.
Research by Experian suggests that 67% of Gen Zers and 62% of millennials use AI to manage their personal finances, including increasing their savings, improving their budgeting, and enhancing their credit score.
As AI matures, retail investors have a growing array of AI‑enabled tools at their fingertips, each designed to simplify different aspects of the investment process.
- Robo-advisors: Automated investment platforms that incorporate AI and machine learning into their algorithms to assess risk profiles and build and rebalance portfolios according to investors’ profiles.
- Algorithmic trading bots: Advanced investors can deploy bots (AI agents) that execute momentum, mean‑reversion, or pairs‑trading strategies 24/7, reacting to microsignals far faster than any human trader.
- AI-powered ETFs: Funds such as the Amplify AI-Powered Equity ETF (AIEQ) use machine learning to analyze vast amounts of historical data and over one million news and social media sources, informing portfolio composition.
- AI assistants: Existing chatbots powered by generative AI can parse earnings call transcripts, summarize market‑moving headlines, and answer ad‑hoc questions about sectors or individual stocks in real time.
- Predictive analytics platforms: Tools like Kavout’s K Score employ deep learning to rank equities by their probability of outperformance and detect subtle shifts in investor sentiment.
Can AI Help Your Portfolio?
Many non-investors say they don’t invest because they lack knowledge about how to begin and lack confidence in their ability to create an investment plan. AI can help break down and personalize financial reports and other materials through interactive, on‑demand tools. The World Economic Forum survey found that 28% of investors use AI chatbots to help guide their financial decisions, and 42% of current investors say they would invest more if an AI chatbot were assisting them.
Meanwhile, concerns about model bias, inaccuracies, data privacy, platform outages, and a lack of transparency underscore the need for caution when using these systems.
Risks and Opportunities of AI Investing
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Removes emotion, bias, and human error
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Can process many trading signals across multiple economic and non-economic indicators
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More accessible/lower-cost than traditional advisors
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Can adjust to individual goals, timelines, and risk tolerances as markets evolve
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AI trained on historical data may falter when markets shift unexpectedly
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AI lacks transparency and accountability, making it difficult to debug decisions
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Data gaps and biases, outages, or platform glitches (e.g., “hallucinations”) could lead to unintended negative consequences
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Increasing volumes of personal and financial data being collected may pose privacy and cybersecurity vulnerabilities
The Bottom Line
AI is no longer the future of personal finance—it’s already here. Millennials and Gen Zers are increasingly embracing these tools. If you’re looking to tighten up your portfolio, you might consider experimenting with a robo-advisor, investing in an AI‑powered ETF, or using an AI research assistant. Just remember: AI can only help with, not replace, sound financial judgment.
