Artificial intelligence has dominated the news cycle with OpenAI securing non-stop partnerships between some of the biggest companies in the world with Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, Broadcom, Oracle, and AMD all recently teaming up.

That's why it was no surprise that AI was a big focus at Benzinga's Fintech Day which took place in New York on Monday. During the event, a rare moment of industry candor took place within the on-stage panel who cut through the hype saying that people trust AI with their pocket change, but not their life savings. That moment came courtesy of Chris Josephs, co-founder of Autopilot, best known for its viral Pelosi Tracker -- and it summed up the mood of the entire panel.

“People might let AI swing-trade their Robinhood money,” Josephs said, “but when it comes to their retirement accounts, they want a human.”

In an era when chatbots pick stocks and AI models build funds, Josephs’ point hit home. He’s seen it firsthand: millions of Autopilot users follow algorithmic traders or “creators” who run AI-driven portfolios, but few are ready to let automation touch their 401(k)s or IRAs.

“This whole idea that AI will replace financial advisers? It won’t,” Josephs said. “Trust is going to matter more, not less.”

That sentiment has been echoed by many others, including Phill Rogerson, AssetMark's SVP and head of RIA who noted that AI isn’t about to replace human advisors, but using AI efficiently to help personalize service is critical so that advisors can focus more of their time on what is most important: client relationships.

The Trust Premium

The panel -- featuring WealthCharts CEO Rob Hoffman, TradeStation’s VP of Product, James Putra, and Josephs -- explored how AI and automation are redrawing the map for traders and investors alike and that trust remains the final frontier.

Josephs noted that Robinhood’s recent acquisition of TradePMR, a firm specializing in adviser-led portfolios, is proof that even digital-first platforms are preparing for a human-AI hybrid future.

“That’s the early signal,” Josephs said. “No one wants an AI blindly doing everything for them -- they still want to know someone’s on the other side.”

AI May Be Fast -- But Trust Compounds

For all the talk about machine learning and market automation, the conversation circled back to one simple truth: the most valuable currency in fintech isn’t speed -- it’s credibility.

While everyone wants the speed, personalization, and efficiency that AI can offer, they also want those tools filtered through someone they trust to make sure everything is accurate. The future of investing won’t put advisors against AI, but those who know how to use AI best.

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