The financial planning profession faces a critical challenge in preparing future practitioners to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to expand access to financial guidance for underserved populations. This study applies Human-Automation Interaction theory to examine how trust, gender, and academic performance shape undergraduate financial planning students’ adoption of ChatGPT. A survey of 60 advanced financial planning students measured AI usage frequency, trust in ChatGPT, and reliance on AI advice. Results show significant positive correlations among trust, usage frequency, and reliance, which are consistent with HAI theory predictions. Female students reported significantly higher ChatGPT usage than their male peers, challenging prior evidence of women’s lower AI adoption rates. A negative relationship between GPA and AI advice reliance indicated that lower-performing students are more likely to depend on AI for financial guidance. These findings have critical implications for financial planning education and professional development, including the need for trust-building curricula, gender-responsive training, and guidance to ensure ethical AI use that supports client well-being. By documenting how future financial planners develop relationships with AI, this research highlights strategies for workforce development that can enhance consumer well-being and broaden access to quality financial advice through technology-enhanced practice.
