If you’ve ever typed “should I overpay my mortgage or put it in my ISA?” or “is this car insurance quote any good?” into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini before you’ve spoken to an actual person, you’re not alone.
New research from consumer insights platform Attest finds that among UK adults under 45, 11% now turn to an AI assistant first for money decisions, compared with 9% who turn to a financial adviser first.
For the first time, the robot is beating the adviser to that initial conversation.
And it’s not just about asking. It’s about letting AI do the boring bits too.
Why we’re asking AI first
Let’s be honest about why. Financial advice in the UK is excellent, but it’s not always accessible.
A one-off session with an FCA-regulated financial adviser can cost £150-£500+, and ongoing advice is often a percentage of what you invest. If you’re 28, trying to figure out whether to build an emergency fund or start a pension, that fee feels huge.
An AI assistant, on the other hand, is free, instant, and doesn’t make you feel silly for asking what an APR actually is.
Attest’s 2027 Consumer Trends report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults, found that 41% of under-45s would accept financial advice from AI if it were cheaper than advice from a person.
That’s not because AI is better. It’s because cost is a real barrier. The research measures what people say they would do, not what they’ve already paid for — but it shows a clear appetite for a cheaper way to get started.
I get it. I use AI to sense-check things too. The trick is knowing where it’s genuinely helpful, and where it could trip you up.
What we’d happily let AI do for us
The study asked UK adults what money tasks they’d let AI handle without asking each time. The results are very telling:
- 41% would let AI cancel unused subscriptions — that gym you haven’t visited since March, the streaming service you forgot about.
- 36% would let AI negotiate a refund or dispute a charge — the £8.99 double-charge, the delivery that never arrived.
- 30% would let AI switch us to a better insurance or utilities deal — rising to 54% among people who already use AI heavily for work, shopping and research.
That makes sense. These are the admin jobs we all put off. The ones that cost us £200-£300 a year in loyalty taxes because we can’t face another comparison site.
But when it comes to the big moves, we slam on the brakes:
- Only 17% would let AI move their savings to another provider for a better rate
- Just 10% would let it buy and sell investments for them
We want a personal admin assistant, not an autopilot for our life savings. Which feels about right.
The hidden risk: AI can quietly rule things out
Here’s the bit that should make all of us pause.
Among shoppers who used AI in the research, 62% ruled out an option based on the assistant’s advice without checking elsewhere.
AI doesn’t just show you options. It helps you eliminate them. And if it gets something wrong — an outdated interest rate, a missing fee, a misreading of your circumstances — you might never know.
An assistant might tell you Provider X is “the best for beginners” because it has a low headline fee, but not mention the £12.99 a month platform fee. Or it might compare two insurance policies on price alone, ignoring that one has a £500 excess you can’t afford.
That first answer shapes everything that comes after. If you’re not careful, you arrive at a financial provider or adviser with a decision already half-made by an AI that doesn’t know your full financial picture.
How to use AI for money — without getting burnt
I’m not anti-AI. Used well, it’s brilliant for personal finance. Here’s how to use it like a savvy consumer, not a passive one:
1. Use it for the first draft, not the final decision.
Ask it to explain concepts in plain English — “explain a stocks and shares LISA like I’m 30” — to create a comparison checklist, or to draft questions to ask an adviser. Brilliant for that.
2. Always force it to show its workings.
Instead of “what’s the best savings account?”, try: “Show me 3 UK easy-access savings accounts available in October 2026 for someone with £5k, with interest rates, FSCS protection, and links to the providers. Tell me what you *didn’t* include.” Make it cite sources.
3. Don’t let it act with your actual money — yet.
Cancelling a £4.99 subscription? Low risk. Letting it move your emergency fund or switch your energy tariff without you seeing the new contract? High risk. Keep a human approval step in for anything that involves a contract, credit score, or investment.
4. Check if the advice is regulated.
In the UK, personalised financial advice must be regulated by the FCA. AI chatbots are not regulated advisers. They provide general information. If you need advice tailored to you — especially for pensions, investments over £10k, mortgages, or protection — speak to an FCA-regulated adviser or use MoneyHelper’s free, impartial guidance.
5. Remember the loyalty penalty works both ways.
AI is great at finding a cheaper deal, but cheaper isn’t always better. Check excesses, coverage, exit fees and customer service ratings. A tool like that is useful for switching, but your own judgment is still the safety net.
The takeaway
That 11% vs 9% stat isn’t about advisers becoming irrelevant. It’s about how we start making money decisions now. We Google symptoms before we see a GP. We now ask AI about money before we speak to an adviser.
For those of us under 45 juggling rent, childcare, student loans and trying to save something, that instant, low-cost starting point is incredibly appealing. And letting AI chase refunds and cancel forgotten subscriptions? Honestly, sign me up.
Just don’t let that first, free conversation be the last one.
Use AI to get informed, get organised, and get confident enough to ask better questions — then get a second opinion from a human, a trusted comparison site, or an official source before you commit.
Your future self — and your bank balance — will thank you.
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The data in this post comes from Attest’s 2027 Consumer Trends report, based on a nationally-representative survey of 2,000 UK adults aged 18–64 conducted in September 2026. Delegation questions measure what people say they would allow, not what they’ve done. Heavy AI users are defined as people who use AI for work, shopping and research and used three or more assistants in the last month.
This blog is for information only and is not regulated financial advice. If you’re unsure about a financial decision, consider speaking to an FCA-regulated adviser or visit MoneyHelper.org.uk.