New AMF data shows half of young Quebeckers now turn to AI or finfluencers before making personal finance choices
The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) has released new survey data showing that 30 percent of Quebeckers now turn to artificial intelligence for personal finance information. The finding points to a significant shift in how clients form financial views before seeking professional advice — and a growing role for finfluencers in shaping them.
The regulator is not sounding an alarm, but it is urging caution. Its findings have direct implications for advisors whose clients are increasingly forming views through these channels before any professional conversation takes place.
What clients are researching
The AMF released the findings on October 29, 2026, as part of Financial Literacy Month. The survey was conducted by Léger on behalf of the regulator. It found that 30 percent of Quebeckers use AI tools to research personal finance matters, up seven percentage points from 2025.
The rate climbs to 50 percent among those aged 18 to 24 — a 13-percentage-point increase from 2025.
Savings and investments top the list of AI search topics, cited by 37 percent of respondents. Searches related to loans and mortgages fell, down eight percentage points to nine percent.
The survey found that 21 percent of Quebeckers say finfluencer or creator content could shape their financial choices. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, that proportion reaches 50 percent.
A separate October 2026 study from Global X Investments Canada and National Bank Direct Brokerage surveyed 834 Canadian DIY investors. It found that 95 percent of Gen Z AI users still identified at least one reason to question AI-generated financial advice.
What does the regulatory response mean for advisors?
In December 2025, the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization published Joint Staff Notice 31-369. The notice provides guidance on how securities laws apply to finfluencer activity.
The AMF itself participated in the Global Week of Action Against Unlawful Finfluencers in June 2025. It joined forces with the Ontario Securities Commission and regulators in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The pattern of cross-jurisdictional co-ordination suggests the issue is unlikely to recede.
“Finfluencers and artificial intelligence can be useful tools for taking an interest in your personal finances and better understanding certain financial concepts,” said Isabelle Blackburn, superintendent, client services and financial education at the AMF in Québec. “However, when it comes to making financial decisions, caution remains essential. These sources of information have limitations and are not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific situation.”
What advisors are seeing on AI and finfluencers
Among finfluencer viewers, 68 percent also use AI for investing. That compares with just 14 percent of those who do not follow creator content. The Global X and NBDB study described this pattern as digitally engaged investors building layered research habits rather than relying on a single source.
AI is most often used to double-check the investor’s own thinking, generate ideas, research markets, and summarise financial information, the same study found. That pattern describes a client base that arrives at advisory meetings having already formed views that might not been verified or tailored to their individual circumstances.
The AMF will publish full survey results and additional educational resources on its website throughout November as part of Financial Literacy Month. For advisors, the data reinforces the value of proactively addressing how clients gather financial information. This is particularly relevant where clients are using AI tools or finfluencer content ahead of formal advice conversations.
