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TD's Second Annual U.S. AI Insights Report shows AI has shifted from experimentation to everyday expectation, while trust and human oversight remain essential.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a consumer inflection point, with 78% of Americans now using AI-enabled tools daily and 67% feeling more proficient than last year. Despite this rapid adoption, trust in AI for financial recommendations is low, with only 18% of survey respondents willing to trust AI for such decisions alone. Human involvement and accountability are still considered central. The survey also indicates widespread AI usage across all generations, with Gen Z leading at 90%.
Compared to the previous year, Americans show significantly higher AI usage across daily activities, demonstrating a shift from experimentation to expectation. This change is particularly evident in personal finance, where usage has increased from 10% last year to over half (55%) today for managing financial decisions. Adoption rates are highest among Gen Z (77%) and Millennials (72%), with steady growth in Gen X (49%) and Boomers (30%). However, comfort levels for specific AI-enabled financial tasks like budgeting (62%), automating savings goals (61%), and saving for major life events (59%) have remained stable, suggesting that trust is developing gradually rather than automatically.
The study consistently highlights that as AI becomes an everyday expectation, consumers are most comfortable with hybrid experiences that combine AI efficiency with clear human expertise. Two-thirds of consumers are comfortable with AI performing behind-the-scenes functions such as fraud detection (67%), tracking spending (66%), and calculating credit scores (66%). However, trust significantly decreases when AI is positioned as an autonomous decision-maker for complex or high-stakes financial matters. Interest in AI-powered banking assistants is growing, with nearly half of respondents open to tools for tasks like bill payments, alerts, and fund transfers, provided that humans remain accountable for the outcomes. Millennials, in particular, show the strongest interest in these AI assistants. According to Jo Jagadish, Head of Digital Banking, Payments and Contact Centers at TD Bank U.S., consumers value AI that simplifies their experience without sacrificing the human touch, emphasizing the importance of responsible design alongside innovation.
Trust remains a core theme in the report's findings, with 62% of respondents trusting AI to provide honest, reliable, and competent information, a notable increase from the previous year. However, this trust has not surpassed the trust consumers place in friends and family (90%) and banks (85%) for information gathering. Kiran Vuppu, U.S. Chief Information Officer at TD, emphasized that transparency, security, and human accountability are fundamental requirements for AI solutions in financial services. TD is committed to engineering AI solutions with these safeguards consistently enforced, adapting to changing consumer expectations regarding how modern technology supports financial decisions. For more detailed insights, the second annual U.S. AI Insights Report is available for review.
The findings are derived from an Online CARAVAN® survey conducted by Big Village for TD between February 18–25, 2026. The survey included 2,504 Americans aged 18 and older, who were members of an online panel. To ensure accurate representation of the total U.S. population, completed interviews were weighted by age, gender, geographic region, race, education, and income, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Results are analyzed both in total and by generation where statistically significant differences exist at a 95% confidence level. Generations were defined as Gen Z (ages 18-29, N=470), Millennials (ages 30-45, N=698), Gen X (ages 46-61, N=629), and Baby Boomers (ages 62-80, N=648).
TD Bank US Holding Company and its subsidiaries, including TD Bank, N.A., form TD Bank U.S., the U.S. banking business of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. As a leading North American financial services firm, TD Bank U.S. serves over 10 million clients through approximately 1,050 locations across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Carolinas, and Florida. The bank provides a comprehensive suite of retail, small business, and commercial banking products and services, including customized private banking, wealth management, credit card products, and automotive vehicle financing. Headquartered in Mount Laurel, N.J., TD Bank U.S. is one of the largest banks in the country by assets.
Big Village, a Bright Mountain company, operates as a modern business intelligence partner with a rich history in the insights industry. This research and analytics firm assists brands and agencies in better understanding customer behavior, intentions, and attitudes to drive effective marketing and innovation. Big Village offers fast-track learning and human-led decision support, enabling brands to genuinely connect with their customers and achieve success. Previously known as Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for over 80 years, the company now focuses on designing, building, and managing consumer insights projects and programs that facilitate continuous learning and generate growth for businesses.
For media inquiries, please contact Lindsay Cloutier, Corporate Communications Manager II, at Lindsay.Cloutier@td.com.