tech
May 16, 2026
OpenAI Wants ChatGPT to See Your Bank Account. The Pitch Is Convenience. The Risk Is Everything Else.
ChatGPT can now connect to your bank accounts via Plaid, giving OpenAI access to the most intimate data category left.
TL;DR
- ChatGPT now offers a personal finance feature for Pro subscribers, enabling connection to bank accounts, credit cards, and investments via Plaid.
- Users can ask personalized financial questions, receiving answers grounded in their actual financial data.
- OpenAI states the AI cannot make account changes or view full account numbers; data syncing is removed within 30 days.
- The feature runs on GPT-5.5 and follows OpenAI's acquisition of personal finance startup Hiro Finance.
- Concerns exist regarding data privacy, especially with the recent introduction of advertising into ChatGPT.
- The service lacks a fiduciary obligation, despite offering what may appear as professional financial advice.
- This move positions OpenAI as a conversational layer for managing money, potentially disintermediating traditional banks.
- Competitors like Perplexity have also launched similar AI-powered financial tools.
- OpenAI plans to expand the feature to Plus subscribers after initial usage analysis.