Today, technology plays a pivotal role in our lives. It has become one of the key infrastructures we thrive on. And it’s not just about enabling transactions – whether banking, investing, booking movie tickets, travel, or hotel bookings – but it also influences how we make most of these decisions. Thanks to the day and age of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms embedded in apps, plus the social media influencers who have an invisible hand in it.
But have you wondered who is to be held responsible if AI-influenced and social media-influenced decisions go wrong?
When you are investing for your envisioned financial goals, relying solely on AI as well as social media financial influencers – called ‘finfluencers’ – can be even more risky, as it is a question of your hard-earned money.
According to SEBI’s 2025 survey, 62% of retail investors in India rely on finfluencers for investment advice and admitted to making investment choices as per their recommendations. And, in reality, only about 2% of finfluencers are SEBI-registered. Most finfluencers are not even qualified to render financial or investment advice.
Finfluencers: Be Wary of Them
They often talk about profits made in capital markets or asset classes on their social media channels, but seldom disclose losses. For you, the investor, falling for these tall claims of finfluencers or going by how many followers they have, or their social engagement, could be misleading and may prove perilous to your wealth and health. Their high following is due to so many naïve investors trusting them.
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That said, there have already been numerous real-life cases in point showing that investors who followed finfluencer recommendations have lost money. Some finfluencers have used investor education workshops (for example, Avdhut Sathe, the Baap of Chart operated by Nasiruddin Ansari, and PR Sundar) as a modus operandi to make money and offer recommendations that have cost investors dear.
Some are also promoting investment products or services for the sake of an incentive rather than on genuine merit.
Besides, there have been ‘pump-and-dump’ schemes operated by finfluencers, who have sadly used social media networks to deceptively manipulate share prices to their advantage. What they play on is your psychology: FOMO (fear of missing out).
So, don’t fall for the get-rich-quick promises. Keep in mind, guaranteed returns, tall claims of high returns (without disclosing the necessary supportings to prove it), promotion of financial products for incentives (which may or may not be disclosed upfront), complex explanations giving the illusion of expertise, etc., are some of the red flags to watch out for in finfluencers.
You need to astutely filter out misleading content when following any finfluencer and double-check their credibility – his/her education background, experience in the financial market, whether he/she has been hands-on investment advisory, disclosure of conflict of interest/affiliate deals (if any), whether he/she is unbiased, admit to having made losses or bad calls, and so on.
AI Investment Tools – Remember It’s ‘Artificial’ Intelligence
Speaking of AI investment tools, while they help keep emotions at bay and speed decision-making, not all take into account the ever-evolving financial circumstances, cash flow, financial goals, and risk profiles. Remember, these are important factors that influence the investments you make.
When you use a robo-advisory platform, it most often displays investment avenues (stocks, mutual funds, fixed-income instruments, etc.) and asset allocation based on what you feed into the AI-backed robo-advisor today. Also, there is a great deal of generalisation, whereas the fact is, personal finance and investing are essentially individualistic exercises; there is no one-size-fits-all approach. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
On the surface, most robo-advisor platforms are designed to impress you – capable of analysing a host of data, market trends, economic indicators, sectors, etc. But does it really hold up when it comes to managing risk and returns (not just returns), particularly when they rely on historical data?
A number of robo-advisory platforms or the AI investment tools do not offer the needed handholding in turbulent times, which is when you perhaps need ‘advice’ in the true sense of the word – whether you should hold certain stocks, mutual funds, gold, etc. and in what weight, whereby it aligns with your risk profile and optimises returns to achieve the envisioned financial goal(s).
This is necessary because investing isn’t a one-time exercise. The portfolio needs to be monitored carefully to make course corrections when your financial situation changes. It is akin to seeing a doctor when you are unwell, who, on medical examination, may prescribe you medication and recommend a diet to get back on track soon. AI investment tools are, by and large, reactive. Unless you feed in what needs to be done – and do so correctly – it will not provide the correct course correction or probe deeper to understand what is best suited for you. In other words, they are only good as the data they are trained on.
Moreover, AI tools cannot ensure your investment discipline. For instance, if you stop or discontinue SIPs in mutual funds or do not maintain a strategic allocation to gold during volatile, uncertain times, the AI has no control over it. In this regard, recognising your emotions better, a human investment adviser who is SEBI-registered, may perhaps come to your rescue and guide you better.
So, the robo-advisory platform and AI investment tools have their limitations. They can be used for a preliminary understanding as a tool and to gain some financial knowledge or a broader sense, but not to rely solely on them to make investment decisions.
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Regulatory Shield: How SEBI Is Policing The Digital Financial Space
The capital market regulator has imposed restrictions on the use of ‘live’ stock market data in educational content. Stock market educators can now use only reference stock prices with a three-month lag, effectively curtailing the practice of providing real-time trading recommendations under the guise of educational material. The objective is to prevent impulsive investment decisions driven by short-term market fluctuations.
To keep a tab on misleading finfluencers, the regulator has also launched an AI tool, ‘Sudarshan’, which tracks violations in the digital space. There is a clear line drawn between investor education and misleading advice, while recognising the right to freedom of expression and to carry out investor education. If finfluencers publish content that breaks the rules, the regulator has the power to take it down.
Stricter regulations on advertising practices for investment advisers and other practitioners are also in place. If any SEBI-registered firm fails to control ad placements, leading to an association with unregulated influencers, it will be considered a regulatory violation.
Violations are dealt with seriously with penalties, suspension or cancellation of registration, debarment, and so on.
Under the SEBI rule, AI tools are now treated as software, and even if a SEBI-registered investment adviser uses them to render advice, he/she will be fully liable for any errors the machine makes. It is the responsibility of the adviser to consider all the aspects to render prudent advice. Since AI models use sensitive personal data of the investor, the extant rules also require the adviser to ensure the security and confidentiality of the client’s data (for which purpose the regulator conducts audits).
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To conclude
While the regulator has and is taking measures in investors’ interests, don’t blindly follow a finfluencer and/or AI investment tools; exercise caution and conduct your due diligence. Think through your financial situation, risk profile, broader investment objective, the financial goal (s) you are addressing, and the time you have to achieve those goals before following an influencer or relying on an AI tool to invest.
Avoid making investment decisions solely on returns, which may or may not repeat in the future, particularly when investing in market-linked instruments. Keep in mind that for every level of returns you seek, there is risk involved. And it is not always true that high risk translates into high returns.
Also, investing is not a one-time exercise. Your investment portfolio requires regular review and rebalancing due to the ever-evolving situation – age progressing, changes in financial circumstances, responsibilities to shoulder, change in risk profile, and as you approach the envisaged financial goals.
Thus, invest thoughtfully rather than getting carried away. Consider availing the services of only SEBI-registered investment advisers and research analysts in the interest of your financial well-being.
Happy investing!
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