AI and the Retiring Population: Curious, Cautious, and Still Wanting Human Connection
Artificial Intelligence is transforming so much of what we do on a daily basis. Most of us are wrestling with AI and figuring out how it fits in with our work and personal lives. For some, it has become a partner in decision-making, to be consulted for nearly every decision. For others, it is another form of Google, and some have yet to test it out. And for many, the feeling is mixed: 43% of workers in one survey reported they are worried their job skills will no longer be needed with AI [1].
An essay published this week by Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic and one of the most prominent voices in AI safety, confirms that it is not only the everyday user figuring out how AI fits into our lives. Companies developing AI are figuring this out at the same time. Drawing agreement from other leaders in the industry, including Sam Altman of OpenAI, Amodei called for the technology industry to deliberately slow the pace of AI development, citing concerns about safety and societal readiness.
This is a lot to take in. So what does it mean for those of us working in the retirement space? The rise of AI brings up genuinely interesting questions about how pre-retirees and retirees are using these tools, where they find value, what concerns them, and where the human element remains not just preferred, but essential.
In this rapidly changing space, we can only so much as capture a snapshot of what is happening with AI and its use among different groups. Much of what we know and have outlined here has likely already changed. Nonetheless…it is a useful starting point for understanding the landscape and what it means for professionals working with retirees and pre-retirees.
50+ Population and AI
People of all ages are engaging with AI. A 2026 AARP survey found that 8 in 10 Americans aged 50 and over have used AI in some capacity [2]. Thirty-five percent consider themselves intermediates or more advanced when it comes to AI. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the tools we already use, including search engines, banking apps, health portals, this level of engagement is perhaps not that surprising.
What about openness to using AI? Fifty-one percent of Americans aged 50+ say they are open to using AI in general: In particular, there is interest in using AI for support with simplifying health information, filtering news, managing finances, and for shopping assistance [2].
The important point here: the retiring population is not sitting on the sidelines of this shift.
AI in Financial Planning
Financial planning and management is one of the clearest areas of growth in AI adoption. According to a BestMoney survey of 1,200 Americans, 82% say their use of AI for finances has increased over the past twelve months [3]. The impact goes beyond convenience, with 74% saying AI has improved their financial confidence, and 64% say it has improved their overall financial health.
Americans generally report a high level of trust in AI for financial information. Eighty-two percent say they trust AI-generated financial guidance, and 76% report taking action or making decisions based on that guidance. Thirty-nine percent specifically report having used AI for retirement planning.
For adults 50+, specifically, fraud protection and financial security may be two areas where AI has the most potential for improving financial support [2].
39% of Americans report having used AI for retirement planning
These figures suggest that AI is not just a research tool or another form of Google for this population. It is becoming a support in decision-making. For financial planners and retirement coaches, this creates an important context: clients are arriving at conversations having already consulted AI, compared options, and formed views. The nature of the client relationship is shifting accordingly.
What about general trust with AI?
General trust in AI-generated information among the 50+ population is more nuanced. A 2025 National Poll on Healthy Aging found that just over half of adults (54%) aged 50 and over express at least some trust in AI-generated information, while 46% say they have very little to no trust [4].
Fifty-one percent believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks [5].
One important takeaway is the near-universal appetite for transparency: 92% of adults aged 50 and over say they want to know if the information they are receiving is generated by AI, and 81% say they want to learn more about the risks [4].
This is not a population that is simply absorbing AI uncritically. There is real interest in understanding what AI is, how it works, and where its limitations lie. Of course, this interest may have just become even stronger with Dario’s essay.
The Desire for Human Interaction Remains Strong
Perhaps the most significant finding for those of us working in retirement coaching and financial planning is that, despite growing engagement with AI, the desire for human interaction remains high. The concern that AI may erode human interaction stands out.
The 2026 AARP survey found that 68% of adults aged 50 and over worry that AI advancements may reduce human interaction in important areas of life [2]. At the same time, separate research has found that 61% of Americans say they would prefer to use AI alongside a human financial advisor rather than AI alone, and 62% say they value the human component of financial advice, particularly for significant financial decisions [6].
68% of adults aged 50+ worry that AI advancements may reduce human interaction in important areas of life
This tension between the genuine utility of AI and the enduring value placed on human connection is one of the most important dynamics shaping the retirement planning landscape right now. People are finding real benefit in AI tools. And they are also, at the same time, wrestling with it to figure out how it fits into their lives, and what the limitations are. With this, they are expressing a clear preference for maintaining human relationships at the centre of the decisions that matter most.
What This Means for Coaches and Financial Planners
Surveys paint a picture of a retiring population with mixed views on AI. While some are diving right in and relying on AI, others remain cautious about its limitations. Most, however, are still concerned with maintaining human relationships that support their most important decisions.
For retirement coaches, this suggests that clients may be arriving with more information, having done more brainstorming than before. Understanding how AI fits into your clients' existing information landscape is becoming a useful part of the coaching conversation. Also, understanding the complexities surrounding the retirement transition is becoming more important for providing more specialized support, asking questions that will drive new insights.
For financial planners, the research reinforces something many already see: clients value the human dimension of advice. The relationship, the attunement, the ability to hear what is beneath the surface of what a client says and understand the full context of a client’s situation. These are not features that AI replicates. They are the foundation of what makes financial planning genuinely personal.
For all professionals working with people approaching or navigating retirement, the finding that 68% of older adults worry about AI reducing human interaction is worth holding. It is a reminder that in a world of increasing automation, the human dimensions of this work matter more than ever.
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Sources
[1] Collinson, C., Cho, H., & Rowey, C. (2025). Retirement in the USA: Workforce outlook survey report. Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies & Transamerica Institute. https://www.transamericainstitute.org/docs/research/workforce/retirement-in-the-usa-workforce-outlook-survey-report-2025.pdf
[2] Kakulla, B. (2026). Navigating the world of AI: Using jobs to be done to uncover how adults age 50-plus want AI to show up. AARP Research. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00888.002
[3] BestMoney & Prolific. (2024/2025). Do Americans trust financial AI? BestMoney. https://www.bestmoney.com/financial-advisor/learn-more/do-americans-trust-fin-ai
[4] Kullgren, J., & Burgess, J. (2025, July). Artificial intelligence use and views: Key findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging. University of Michigan Institute for Health Policy and Innovation. https://ihpi.umich.edu/national-poll-healthy-aging/national-findings/how-older-adults-use-and-think-about-ai
[5] Kakulla, B. (2025). Artificial intelligence survey: Older adults navigating AI. AARP Research. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/technology/internet-media-devices/artificial-intelligence-survey/
[6] Empower. (2025). The AI Advantage Research: Half of Americans feel more comfortable using AI in their finances now, compared to a year agohttps://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/ai-advantage-research
