Consumers are using artificial intelligence more — and starting to expect it in their daily lives. The 2026 TD AI Insights Report found that 78% of Americans surveyed now use AI-powered tools in their daily lives. 

For financial services, AI adoption is also on the rise. More than half of survey respondents said they use AI to help manage their finances (55%). This is a huge increase from last year when only 10% of consumers used AI for financial management. 

But adoption is only part of the story. How consumers want AI to show up — and where they draw the line — is key.

Trust in AI Is Rising, But It Must Be Earned

In 2026, 62% of Americans say they trust AI to provide honest and reliable information, up from roughly half in 2025. And, those who trust AI "a great deal" nearly doubled year over year.

That's real progress. But trust in autonomous AI still comes with a healthy dose of skepticism. Only 18% of consumers say they would trust AI to make financial recommendations independently. 

Consumers want to see accuracy, transparency, and accountability before they extend their confidence, especially when money is on the line. The report calls out that “in finance, consumers are embracing AI for efficiency but are doubling down on accountability when decisions carry real consequences.”

Comfort Is Highest When AI Works Behind the Scenes

When it comes to financial services, the report found that comfort with AI is highest for supporting functions like fraud detection, spending tracking, and product recommendations — whether it’s AI only or humans supported by AI. 

But, when consumers need support, they still prefer human involvement. For example, when asked about calling the bank for support, 81% of consumers still want a human involved alongside AI. 

Interestingly, 42% say they prefer AI to gather information first and then hand it off to a human. Today, the most trusted AI isn't the one making decisions or taking actions on its own. It's the one quietly doing the work underneath so humans can make better ones. Spinwheel has seen this firsthand with our agentic API platform — taking the manual work out of bringing together real-time credit data so organizations can make better decisions and drive better outcomes. 

Responsible AI as the Competitive Advantage

Bottom line: responsible AI forms the foundation that makes innovation possible. To earn the right to leverage AI with consumers, it requires trust. And, the report is direct about what consumers prioritize when banks use AI: 

• Protecting customer data and privacy (31%)

• Transparency about when and how AI is used (19%)

• Accuracy and reliability (17%). 

For financial services providers, this means designing AI that works hard behind the scenes and earns its place in front of consumers. That starts with the data and infrastructure underneath — accurate, real-time, and built to be trusted.