OpenAI lets ChatGPT link bank accounts

OpenAI has started a preview of a personal-finance feature inside ChatGPT that lets U.S. Pro subscribers connect bank, credit-card and investment accounts through Plaid. The company said on May 15 that the feature is rolling out to a smaller group first on web and iOS, where users can view spending, subscriptions, upcoming payments and portfolio information in one dashboard. (openai.com) OpenAI said the service is meant to answer questions “grounded in your financial context,” while keeping users in control of their data. The product pushes ChatGPT deeper into a regulated, trust-sensitive category. OpenAI’s help documentation says the system is not a fiduciary, registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, tax preparer or law firm, and says users should consult qualified professionals before making legal, tax or investment decisions. (techtimes.com) ### What exactly can ChatGPT see once an account is linked? OpenAI said connected accounts let ChatGPT read balances, transactions, investments and liabilities so it can answer questions about budgeting, debt payoff, savings goals, recurring bills and portfolio allocation. The company said users can also add context such as a mortgage, a savings target or a planned major purchase. (openai.com) Plaid said the integration gives ChatGPT real-time answers tied to a user’s “actual financial picture,” rather than generic guidance. Plaid said its network connects more than 12,000 financial institutions and supports account types ranging from checking and savings to investments and crypto wallets. (help.openai.com) ### What is the system not allowed to do? OpenAI’s help center says ChatGPT cannot move money, pay bills, make trades, change retirement contributions, open or close accounts, file taxes or act as a user’s adviser. The company also says the model cannot see full account numbers. TechCrunch reported that users can remove linked accounts in Settings and that synced account data is removed from ChatGPT within 30 days after disconnection. (openai.com) OpenAI’s help page separately says data tied to the Plaid connection is deleted from Plaid within 30 days as well. ### Where do the GPT-5.5 and benchmark claims come from? (plaid.com) OpenAI said in its product post that “recent advances in GPT-5.5” made ChatGPT stronger at handling complex, context-dependent personal-finance questions. The company did not publish benchmark scores in the product announcement or help page. TechTimes reported on May 19 that the feature runs on GPT-5.5 and that OpenAI worked with more than 50 finance professionals on a benchmark for personal-finance question quality, with GPT-5.5 Thinking scoring 79 out of 100 and GPT-5.5 Pro scoring 82.5. (help.openai.com) That account could not be independently confirmed from OpenAI’s public product page viewed here. (techcrunch.com) ### Why did the launch draw immediate legal scrutiny? TechTimes reported that OpenAI launched the bank-linking feature on May 15, two days after a federal class action was filed in California accusing the company of routing ChatGPT users’ private conversation data to Google and Meta without consent. (openai.com) The report identified the case as Couture v. OpenAI Global, LLC, filed in the Southern District of California, and said a similar complaint had been filed earlier in the Northern District of California. OpenAI’s own help page draws a bright line around the product’s role. The page says responses are for informational and planning purposes only and that users remain responsible for financial decisions. (techtimes.com) ### What comes next in the rollout? OpenAI said the feature is starting with a smaller preview group of U.S. Pro users and that it plans to expand to Plus later, with the goal of eventually making it available more broadly. The company also said Intuit support is “coming soon,” which TechCrunch reported could add tax-related analysis such as the effect of a stock sale. (openai.com) (help.openai.com) (techtimes.com)