OpenAI adds bank connectivity

OpenAI said on May 15 that it is previewing a new personal-finance experience inside ChatGPT for Pro users in the United States, adding bank-account connectivity through Plaid and a dashboard for spending, bills, subscriptions and investments. The company said users can connect financial accounts, ask budgeting and debt-payoff questions, and receive answers grounded in their own transaction history and balances. The feature is available on web and iOS and is rolling out gradually, according to OpenAI’s product post and ChatGPT release notes. Plaid said the service is powered by its account-linking network. ### Which ChatGPT users can connect accounts now? OpenAI said the preview is limited to Pro users in the U.S. at launch. The company’s May 15 product post said the feature is arriving first as a preview, while the release notes said some eligible users may not see it immediately because the rollout is gradual. TechCrunch reported that OpenAI is launching the tools for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the United States first. Engadget reported the same launch scope and said the feature started rolling out on May 15. ### What does the new finance screen actually show? OpenAI said users who connect accounts can see where their money is going and ask ChatGPT questions based on their financial context, goals and priorities. (openai.com) The company’s release notes said the Finances page shows spending, bills, subscriptions, net worth and investment information in one place, and supports questions about budgets, savings goals, debt payoff and other financial decisions. (techcrunch.com) The Verge reported that connected users can view a dashboard with spending history and active subscriptions, and can ask for help with decisions such as buying a house or choosing credit cards. TechCrunch said the dashboard includes portfolio performance, spending, subscriptions and upcoming payments. ### How is Plaid involved in the rollout? (openai.com) Plaid said on May 15 that OpenAI’s new experience in ChatGPT is powered by Plaid and gives Pro users in the U.S. access to real-time answers and insights tied to their financial picture. OpenAI’s release notes also said users connect accounts through Plaid. MacRumors reported that OpenAI said ChatGPT supports more than 12,000 financial institutions through the Plaid connection. (theverge.com) Neowin, citing OpenAI’s materials, listed institutions such as American Express, Bank of America, Charles Schwab and Robinhood among those available through Plaid. ### What has OpenAI said about privacy and control? OpenAI said in its product post that users stay in control of their data while using the finance feature. (plaid.com) The company did not, in the materials reviewed, publish a separate new privacy policy specific to the launch, but it described the connection flow as secure and routed through Plaid. Inc reported that the product gives users dynamic visualizations of spending habits and personalized financial advice based on connected banking and investment data. (macrumors.com) Bloomberg reported that OpenAI is partnering with Plaid to provide personalized financial advice based on data consumers choose to share with the two companies. (openai.com) ### How does this fit with OpenAI’s broader finance push? OpenAI said on March 5 that it was adding financial data integrations in ChatGPT for services including FactSet, Dow Jones Factiva, LSEG, Daloopa and S&P Global, aimed at professional workflows. A May 5 update said ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets had become generally available across plans. The May 15 consumer rollout extends that push into personal finance. (inc.com) That is an inference based on OpenAI’s earlier finance-product releases and the new consumer account-linking launch, rather than a characterization OpenAI made in those words. ### What happens next in the rollout? OpenAI said the experience is rolling out over time to eligible U.S. Pro users on web and iOS. The company’s release notes said some users may not see Finances right away, and the product page continues to present the feature as a preview. (openai.com 1) (openai.com 2)