Brits trust AI with their health but not their money

New research reveals that people are happier asking artificial intelligence about medical symptoms and legal problems than letting it handle their payments, with almost half uncomfortable about AI detecting fraud

Brits are more willing to trust artificial intelligence with their health and legal problems than their money, according to a new study.

A survey of 2,000 UK consumers found that 38 per cent would let AI answer a legal question and 37 per cent would seek its help with medical symptoms.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they would also trust AI to help with internet searches, 57 per cent with navigation and 56 per cent with recommendations.

But despite AI being in widespread use across the financial sector, just 22 per cent would trust it to make or manage payments.

Nearly half (45 per cent) of consumers would feel uncomfortable about making a payment if they knew AI rather than a human team was handling fraud detection.

Nine-in-10 expressed at least one concern about AI detecting payment fraud, with 51 per cent worried about mistakes, 39 per cent about data privacy and 35 per cent about cybersecurity.

The findings come from Enfuce’s Frictionless Payments. Invisible Trust report, based on interviews conducted in August 2026. 

Its chief executive and co-founder Denise Johansson said: “We spent decades making payments invisible, tap, pay, move on. Yet our research shows people are more willing to trust AI with a legal question than with a payment.

“Our industry needs to take that hesitation seriously. Customers should be able to trust that their money is protected, that someone is accountable for it, and that there is somewhere to turn when something goes wrong. Payments can stay invisible. Trust cannot.”

READ MORE: Bank of England governor warns AI poses growing ‘increasingly significant’ threat to financial stability. Andrew Bailey calls for rigorous testing of advanced artificial intelligence before introducing new regulations, warning that ever-powerful systems could expose banks and other critical financial infrastructure to serious cyber threats.

Do you have news to share or expertise to contribute? The European welcomes insights from business leaders and sector specialists. Get in touch with our editorial team to find out more.

_{Main image: Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels}