"AI Handles Investments Too, but Am I Falling Behind Again?"... 60% of Adults Express Anxiety

Anxiety About AI-Based Financial Technology Highest Among People in Their 30s
"Use Is Increasing, but Blind Trust Is Dangerous," Experts Advise

As the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to develop investment strategies becomes more widespread, a growing number of people are expressing anxiety about falling behind. Six out of ten adults in South Korea are concerned about falling behind in the trend of AI-based financial technology.

Six out of ten adults in South Korea are concerned about falling behind in the trend of AI-based financial technology.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Korea Press Foundation of 1,000 adults aged 20 to 60, 59.1% of respondents said they felt uneasy about the trend of using AI in the investment sector.

The survey presented three areas where AI is most widely used-acquiring work-related knowledge, asset management (financial technology), and personal or children's learning and education-and asked respondents whether they felt they were keeping up with these trends.

Among the respondents, 67.2% said they were anxious about falling behind in acquiring AI-based work knowledge, while 54.9% reported similar feelings regarding the learning and education sector. In the area of financial technology, nearly 60% expressed such concerns.

In fact, the scope of "AI-based financial technology" is rapidly expanding, with more people using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to summarize securities firm reports or to analyze the buy potential of specific stocks. Some investors are even known to use AI to establish mid- to long-term portfolio strategies.

Yang Jeongae, a research fellow at the Korea Press Foundation who analyzed the survey, stated in the report, "Anxiety about AI in relation to financial technology was particularly high among respondents in their 30s." She explained, "People in their 30s are entering society and building assets, so they have a strong interest in investment and a pronounced tendency to use AI practically." In fact, 64.5% of respondents in this age group reported feeling anxious, the highest percentage among all age groups.

35% of all respondents said they were directly using generative AI for investment activities.

Experts warn that while using AI as an investment tool can be useful, it is risky to trust its analysis results unconditionally. This is because the information provided by AI sometimes draws conclusions without solid evidence or makes inferences that are not grounded in common sense.

Experts emphasize, "Each generative AI has different algorithms and training data, which can lead to biased interpretations, and results may also differ between paid and free versions." They add, "Rather than using AI analysis as an absolute standard for decision-making, it is important to develop the habit of comparing and verifying information from multiple sources."