Can An AI Help Me Plan My Retirement?

AI has become increasingly popular in recent years, and with the advent of ChatGPT, it seems like it can do almost anything! But can AI help you plan your retirement? The answer is that while AI can be a powerful tool for research, it doesn’t replace the need for a human financial professional who understands your unique goals.

Let’s look at how AI can be a helpful tool in some ways and also examine its limitations.

Understanding the Limitations of AI

Retirement planning is a deeply personal endeavor, shaped by individual goals, risk tolerance, financial resources, and lifestyle aspirations. AI, despite its impressive capabilities, can’t understand the intricacies that make each person’s financial journey unique. It operates based on patterns and historical data, which might not always capture the full scope of an individual’s needs.

In addition, even the most cutting-edge AI tools still “hallucinate” or “create outputs that are nonsensical or altogether inaccurate.”¹ As you can imagine, putting something as important as retirement planning into the hands of a tool that can provide completely inaccurate information is risky and not advised.

The Human Element in Financial Decision-Making

One of the primary reasons AI can’t replace human involvement in retirement planning is the inherently emotional and subjective nature of financial decision-making. Personal goals, family dynamics, and lifestyle preferences are subjective variables that can significantly impact the retirement planning process. A machine, no matter how sophisticated, can’t understand the emotional nuances of financial planning.

Furthermore, retirement planning often involves considering life events and uncertainties that AI struggles to predict accurately. Personal health, family emergencies, or changes in market conditions are dynamic variables that require human intuition and adaptability. While AI can process historical data and identify trends, it can’t anticipate unforeseen events that may alter the course of one’s financial journey.

The Importance of Human Professional

Financial professional are indispensable when it comes to financial planning. They can tackle complex topics like tax efficiency, asset allocation, portfolio rebalancing, and more.²

Financial professionals may leverage the insights provided by AI tools, but they also incorporate qualitative information from clients and consider their unique circumstances and preferences. Human professionals are skilled in interpreting the emotional aspects of financial decision-making, providing a level of guidance and understanding that AI simply can’t replicate.