Retail Investors Rapidly Adopting AI Tools for Investment Decisions

New survey finds 62% of U.S. retail investors now use AI to inform their market moves, with many seeing improved performance.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:08am

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A high-contrast, cinematic close-up of complex financial machinery and mechanisms, such as gears, circuits, and data displays, conveying the power, complexity, and automation underlying modern financial systems.As AI-powered tools become more accessible to retail investors, the financial industry is undergoing a rapid technological transformation that is leveling the playing field between individual and professional investors.NYC Today

A new survey from Investing.com found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. retail investors, or 62%, are now using artificial intelligence to help inform their investment decisions. The survey of 938 American investors also revealed that 65% of AI users say the technology has improved their market performance, underscoring the growing role AI is playing in how individual investors research, analyze, and generate trading ideas.

Why it matters

The rapid adoption of AI tools by retail investors highlights how quickly this technology is disrupting the financial industry and leveling the playing field between professional and individual investors. With broad access to sophisticated financial models, retail investors can now compete at a similar level to professionals, potentially leaving those without access to AI-powered insights behind.

The details

The survey found that 62% of respondents use AI to research stocks and other assets, 35% use it to better understand financial news and market developments, and 34% use it to generate investment or trading ideas. Among specific AI tools, chatbots like ChatGPT are the most widely used, with 54% of respondents saying they have used them for investing-related research.

  • The survey was conducted from March 3-10, 2026.

The players

Investing.com

A leading global financial platform providing real-time data, tools, and market analysis across more than 120,000 financial instruments. 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.

Thomas Monteiro

A senior analyst at Investing.com who commented on the survey findings, noting that AI has proven to be as disruptive to the financial industry as quickly as any other industry and is rapidly leveling the playing field for retail investors.

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What they’re saying

“Arguably, there are only a handful of industries in which AI has proven as disruptive as quickly as it has in the financial industry.”

— Thomas Monteiro, Senior Analyst

“Broad access to complex financial models is rapidly leveling the playing field, enabling retail investors to compete at largely the same level as professional investors. 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.”

— Thomas Monteiro, Senior Analyst

The takeaway

The rapid adoption of AI tools by retail investors highlights the transformative impact this technology is having on the financial industry. As AI-powered insights become more accessible, individual investors are gaining the ability to compete with professionals, potentially leaving those without access to these tools behind. This trend underscores the importance for all investors to stay informed and embrace the evolving role of AI in the markets.