In a release over the weekend, OpenAI announced that US-based Pro users of its ChatGPT generative AI will now be able to access a preview of a new “personal finance experience”, which will allow users to monitor spending and get suggestions on how to save.
“Now you can securely connect your financial accounts, see a dashboard of where your money is going, and ask ChatGPT questions grounded in your financial context – all while staying in control of your data. We’re starting with a preview to a smaller group so we can learn from real-world use, improve the experience, and expand thoughtfully,” OpenAI said.
OpenAI said that 200 million people already use ChatGPT for financial advice, budgeting and more, and that ChatGPT 5.5’s capabilities, combined with bank account connection, mean that ChatGPT can now provide real personal financial assistance.
“With your financial accounts connected, ChatGPT can combine that reasoning with your real financial context and what you’ve shared about your goals, lifestyle, and priorities, helping you spot patterns, understand tradeoffs, and plan for big decisions in a way that feels more personal and complete,” it said.
The service works by linking bank accounts using Plaid. The new service will then present a dashboard that shows spending, portfolio performance, subscriptions, upcoming bills and payments and more.
“Beyond connected accounts, you can share important context about your financial life, like a mortgage, a savings goal, or a major purchase you’re planning for,” OpenAI said.
“For example, you might tell ChatGPT: ‘I’m saving up to buy a car early next year’ or ‘I still owe my parents [X amount] for the loan they gave me.’ ChatGPT can save that context to your financial memories to inform future conversations.”
Now, its expected that connecting a bank account to a generative AI would seem like a security concern; however, OpenAI said that data will remain secure and users remain in control of their data.
“When you connect your accounts, ChatGPT can access your balances, transactions, investments, and liabilities to help visualise your finances or answer your questions. It cannot see full account numbers or make any changes to your accounts,” it said, adding that the security of the conversations is based on the user’s existing conversation settings.
The company said that any “financial memories” can be deleted at any time, conversations can be used through temporary chats, and that bank accounts can be disconnected at any time.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Cyber Daily a preferred news source on Google.
