What happens when you let AI decide where your money goes? I decided to find out. I gave Chat GPT $500 of my own money and asked it to build me a short-term stock portfolio. The results so far? Honestly, they surprised me.

But before we get into numbers, let me explain how this little experiment began.

Why I Tried This

Recently, I wrote about this in Fast Company. My big question was simple: could ChatGPT-5, the newest version of the model, actually work as a stock picker?

Open AI describes it as a "PhD-level" model, great at research and analysis. So I thought: if it's that smart, maybe it could help me make some quick gains.

Quick disclaimer: this is not investment advice. Don't copy these picks. I'm just running a crazy experiment with my own money. If you're investing seriously, talk to a professional.

My Earlier AI Stock Test

This wasn't my first time trying something like this. Back in 2022, when GPT-3 was still around, I got early access and asked it for stock picks. The process was clunky — more like typing into a nerdy command line than chatting.

Still, it gave me a list of stocks with reasons why. Its strategy was very basic: pick companies that were already doing well, plus safe bets like Amazon and Microsoft. Not exactly groundbreaking.

But here's the surprise: that portfolio actually performed really well. From late 2022 until now, it went up about 82%, compared to a 67% rise in the S&P 500. So even an early version of the AI managed to beat the market.

What ChatGPT-5 Picked for Me

Fast-forward to today. With the new GPT-5 model, I expected it to dodge the question. After all, Open AI has added guardrails to avoid risky answers.

Instead, Chat GPT gave me five specific picks with detailed reasoning. Here's the list:

Palantir — Strong growth thanks to its AI-driven data platform.

App Lovin — Another company riding the AI wave with its proprietary engine.

Ai o s Pharma — Waiting on an FDA decision for a rare-disease drug. Risky, but could pay off big.

Hut 8 — A crypto mining company with heavy Bitcoin exposure.

MicroStrategy — A software company that holds billions in Bitcoin.

In short: two AI plays, one biotech gamble, and two Bitcoin-related bets. Aggressive, risky, and exactly the kind of portfolio I had asked for.

The Results After 3 Weeks

I transferred $500 into my Robinhood account and bought $100 of each stock.

Three weeks later, here's where I stand:

Starting balance: $500

Current balance: $580

Total gain: 16%

That's in less than a month! If this pace continues (a big if), I could double my money in six months. But of course, it could also all crash — especially since two of the picks are tied to Bitcoin and one depends on FDA approval.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

So far, I'm impressed. In under a month, Chat GPT's portfolio is up 16%. That's not a guarantee of future success — this whole thing could still fall apart — but it shows how far AI has come in analyzing real-world data and making bold decisions.

I'll keep updating as the experiment goes on. Will this AI-built portfolio make me a ton of money, or will it flop? Either way, it's going to be interesting to watch.

Stay tuned — I'll post a full six-month update when the experiment wraps up.