Why you shouldn’t trust ChatGPT for financial, legal, or relationship advice

In the age of instant answers and digital convenience, AI tools like ChatGPT have emerged as revolutionary platforms, providing users with a vast range of information in seconds. From quick definitions to generating code and writing emails, AI has undeniably changed how we interact with knowledge. However, amid the applause for AI’s efficiency, a serious cautionary note must be sounded ChatGPT and similar AI models should never be fully trusted for advice in areas like finance, law, relationships, or health.

According to Anshuman Dutta, a management consultant, "While AI can provide a helpful starting point or general background on certain topics, the consequences of relying on it for high-stakes, deeply personal, or legally binding decisions can be catastrophic. Below, we examine the many reasons both technical and ethical why AI should never substitute professional, human expertise in critical areas of life"

The hallucination hazard: Confidently wrong

Perhaps the most fundamental and alarming flaw of ChatGPT is its tendency to “hallucinate.” In AI terminology, hallucination refers to the generation of false or fabricated information presented with total confidence. This is not just a technical hiccup—it’s a high-risk failure.

Imagine ChatGPT suggesting a high-risk financial strategy based on fictional market trends or offering relationship advice rooted in flawed psychological principles. Even worse, it might suggest medical remedies without any awareness of contraindications or medical history. These hallucinations, while sounding credible, can result in financial ruin, broken relationships, or life-threatening health complications.

Medical advice without medical understanding

ChatGPT is not a doctor. It is a pattern recognition machine trained on public data and cannot interpret individual medical histories, complex diagnoses, or drug interactions. Yet, users often turn to it for explanations of symptoms or treatment suggestions. This is a dangerous path.

Health advice must be personalized, evidence-based, and context-aware. Only a qualified healthcare provider, with access to your medical records and trained to handle ethical and legal responsibilities, can offer this level of care. Relying on ChatGPT for health decisions could mean ignoring early warning signs of serious conditions or self-medicating in ways that harm rather than heal.

The cognitive cost: Dependency and decline

A growing body of research suggests that dependence on AI may impact human cognition. In a study by MIT, students using ChatGPT for academic tasks exhibited reduced brain connectivity, impaired memory formation, and weakened critical thinking abilities. This isn’t merely academic concern—it raises questions about how AI usage shapes our decision-making abilities.

By outsourcing our thinking to a machine, we risk losing the very faculties that define human judgment: analysis, skepticism, creativity, and discernment. Relying on ChatGPT for serious decisions may breed intellectual complacency, dulling our capacity to make informed and reflective choices.

The Legal Labyrinth: Why AI cannot be your advocate

The allure of free, instant legal advice from ChatGPT may be tempting, but it’s deeply flawed. According to Monisha Dutta Sharma, Advocate at Gauhati High Court, trusting AI for legal guidance is not only naïve but dangerous.

Legal systems vary drastically by jurisdiction. A clause valid in one Indian state may be entirely unenforceable in another. ChatGPT is not equipped to parse regional statutes, recent judgments, or nuanced procedural differences. Worse, it can fabricate case law, misquote legal provisions, or offer outdated information. This can lead to missed deadlines, invalid legal filings, or worse civil or criminal liability.

Legal professionals undergo years of training, pass rigorous exams, and adhere to ethical and legal responsibilities. They are covered by professional liability insurance and, most importantly, operate under attorney-client privilege something ChatGPT cannot provide. They offer case-specific, strategic guidance that adapts to the dynamic, high-stakes nature of legal practice. No AI system can replicate this depth of understanding or assume responsibility for legal errors.

Financial guidance without accountability

Would you let an anonymous voice from a void manage your life’s savings? That’s essentially what happens when users follow financial advice from AI. While ChatGPT can explain broad investment principles or terminology, it lacks awareness of market conditions, personal risk tolerance, asset portfolios, and evolving economic contexts.

Worse, it may offer over-simplified or dangerously speculative recommendations—not out of malice, but because it is simply predicting the next likely sentence based on past data. Financial planners, on the other hand, are bound by fiduciary duties, regulatory compliance, and the obligation to tailor advice to your life goals. AI is not a certified financial advisor—and treating it like one could cost you more than just your money.

The illusion of emotional intelligence in relationships

AI has no emotions. It cannot feel heartbreak, betrayal, trust, or love. And yet, people often seek relationship advice from ChatGPT hoping for rational guidance. While AI can offer general perspectives on communication or conflict resolution, it lacks the human insight necessary to handle intimate, emotional, or traumatic interpersonal experiences.

Therapists and counselors undergo training not just in psychology, but in empathy, ethics, and human sensitivity. They observe tone, body language, and historical patterns—none of which AI can grasp. ChatGPT’s suggestions may sound mature, but they’re generated from patterns, not from understanding. When dealing with infidelity, abuse, grief, or mental health issues, turning to AI instead of a trained human being can do more harm than good.

Lack of ethical framework and professional accountability

One of the starkest differences between ChatGPT and professionals in fields like law, finance, medicine, or psychology is accountability. Professionals can be sued, disbarred, fined, or lose licenses for negligence or misconduct. ChatGPT has no legal liability, no professional credential, and no ethical framework other than built-in usage guidelines.

It doesn’t "know" right from wrong, nor can it assess consequences or provide recourse if its advice leads to disaster. Simply put: ChatGPT cannot be held responsible. And that’s exactly why you shouldn’t rely on it when the stakes are high.

A tool, not a truth-teller

ChatGPT is a remarkable research assistant, language model, and brainstorming companion. It’s excellent for drafting emails, simplifying concepts, generating content, or exploring ideas. But it is not a source of truth, wisdom, or moral guidance.

It should be treated as a preliminary information tool—never a final authority on any matter involving your health, money, legal standing, or personal relationships. In these areas, human expertise, accountability, and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceable.

In our pursuit of convenience, we risk embracing false certainty. The biggest danger of ChatGPT isn’t just what it knows or doesn’t know it’s how confidently it speaks even when it’s wrong.

Before letting an algorithm shape your financial plan, your legal defense, or your emotional well-being, ask yourself: Would you trust an intern with no accountability, experience, or empathy to guide your life?

That’s what ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but not a person, not a professional, and certainly not your therapist, lawyer, or doctor.