Generating Financial Literacy: Exploring Personal Finance Information Discovery through Large Language Models and Short Form Content

Technology drives information seeking behavior. Many technology platforms now encourage users to ask their AI-driven tools for personal and professional guidance. This practice is no different when looking for financial direction. Tasking large language model tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to answer basic financial planning questions found they typically offer acceptable answers for personal finance beginners, such as college students. However, the responses are limited and rarely suggest seeking additional help from a professional. It is essential for librarians to understand the type of information provided by such tools and how to support patrons should they come to libraries seeking help. Librarians should offer preemptive learning opportunities to teach patrons how these tools work, why they provide certain responses, and how to evaluate their content for validity and trustworthiness before acting on the advice they receive.