This is why the United States is often called “a nation of immigrants” and “ a melting pot ,” meaning an amalgamation of many cultures. The Statue of Liberty (“Lady Liberty”) honors this tradition as a beacon of hope. The statue on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, in fact, was often the first thing immigrants saw from their boats as they approached America and disembarked at the immigration station at nearby Ellis Island , where immigrants were inspected and officially processed. The statue’s uplifted torch welcomed untold millions of immigrants. and the words of poet Emma Lazarus inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty reinforced the ideal of America as a safe haven for the needy: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” [90] [92]

The United States, by far, attracts more international migrants than any other country, making it “the top destination in the world” for people seeking a new life in a new country. It has been a focal point of emigration and immigration —leaving one country (emigration) and migrating to another one (immigration)—since the very founding of the country, when British colonization of the East Coast of North America led to the formation of the 13 colonies , which became in 1776 the first 13 U.S. states. Seeking opportunity and to escape persecution, poverty, and famine, immigrants have come to America wanting freedom, work, and a new life, and their experiences and dreams have formed an integral part of American history and the American character. [87] [88]

Immigration to America often came in waves. These included the European (mainly British) colonization of the East Coast in the 17th and 18th centuries; the large influx of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe (heavily from Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom) from the 1820s-80s; the large influx of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe (many of them Catholic and Jewish immigrants) from 1880s-1924; Jewish and European refugees escaping Nazi Germany , the Holocaust , and the ravages of World War II from the 1920s-50s; and since the 1960s, migrants from Mexico and Central and South America . [88] [89]

The recent migrants from Mexico and Central and South America have troubled many U.S. citizens because the immigrants came into the country illegally, without background checks for possible histories of criminality. How to deal with this latest wave of immigration played a critical role in the presidential election of 2024 and the reelection of President Donald Trump . Upon taking office for his second term as president, Trump quickly resurrected the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (one of the four Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798) to justify his deportation of illegal immigrants. His use of these acts for deportations was quickly challenged in court. [91]

Americans’ reactions to the these waves of immigration has impacted the American experience as significantly as the immigrants themselves. The Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Congress in 1798 sought to restrict immigration and deport immigrants out of fear of radical, foreign ideas. Many of the immigrants to the U.S. during the 1880s-1920s came from non-English speaking countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, compared to earlier immigrants from Britain and Northern and Western Europe. They were often seen as alien and “un-American” and faced staunch prejudice and discrimination, which has been characterized as examples of xenophobia (meaning fear and dislike of strangers and foreigners) and nativism (the desire to protect the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants). The U.S. Congress has also passed several restrictive immigration laws, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the National Origins Quota Act of 1924, which severely restricted legal immigration until 1965, when it was repealed by the Immigration and Nationality Act. [88]

“A Path to Citizenship”

Whether the U.S. should offer a “path to citizenship” for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country has been a hotly debated issue. “Path to citizenship” is a political phrase used by advocates for a special process by which undocumented immigrants can become U.S. citizens. This process may include special requirements (such as fees, background checks, or additional waiting times) beyond those already in place for the naturalization of documented, legal immigrants. Citizenship means the immigrants could receive government benefits (such as Social Security and voting rights), bring family members into the U.S., and be protected from deportation even after committing a crime.[1]

The term “legalization” refers to a different process. Legalization means undocumented immigrants would be allowed to remain in the country legally but would not be allowed citizenship or receive the same rights as U.S. citizens. With legalization, the immigrants would be authorized to work in the U.S., have the ability to legally travel in and out of the country, and would not be subject to deportation for being in the country (though committing certain crimes could lead to deportation). They would not be eligible to vote or to receive government benefits or to bring family members into the country. [1]

Alternatives to citizenship and legalization include the deportation of and civil proceedings against individual or groups of undocumented immigrants. Because being in the U.S. without legal documentation is a civil rather than a criminal offense, criminal proceedings are not an option. [2][3]

A path to citizenship and legalization are sometimes called “amnesty.” Legally, amnesty is “grant[ing] a pardon to those who have committed an offense.” In immigration law, this means “the government forgiving individuals for using forged/false documentation to gain employment in the U.S. and to remain in the country, and would allow illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrant aliens to gain permanent residency in the United States.” Permanent residency could lead to citizenship or another legal status, depending on the immigration action taken by the U.S. federal government. [4]

While a path to citizenship option is often considered a liberal, Democratic Party policy, both Democratic and Republican presidents have promoted, considered, or enacted such policies. Democratic President Jimmy Carter proposed legalization for undocumented immigrants in Aug. 1977, arguably setting the stage for the current debate. The legislation was not supported by the U.S. Congress, but the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy was established “to study and evaluate the existing laws, policies and procedures governing the admission of immigrants and refugees.” The committee submitted the final report to Republican President Ronald Reagan in March 1981. [5][6]

A direct result of the commission’s report was the path-to-citizenship legislation introduced by Senator Alan K. Simpson (R-WY) and Representative Romano L. Mazzoli (D-KY) in 1982. After several revisions of the bill, Reagan signed it into law in Nov. 1986. Called the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA, also called the Simpson-Mazzoli Act or the Reagan Amnesty), it is widely considered the biggest amnesty in modern American history. The act allowed some undocumented immigrants to apply first for temporary legal status. Once legal status was granted, those immigrants could then apply for lawful permanent residency (a “green card”) and later for citizenship. The law required that the undocumented immigrants had entered the United States prior to Jan. 1, 1982, or be a farm worker with at least 90 days of validated employment in order to embark on the path to citizenship. [6][7][8]

While an Oct. 31, 1986, government memo estimated 2,663,000 undocumented immigrants would be eligible for amnesty under the IRCA, 3,040,475 undocumented immigrants actually applied for temporary legal status via the new law, according to a 2002 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) study. Of those, 2,688,730 (88 percent) received permanent residency, and 889,033 of them (33 percent) had received citizenship by 2001. [9][10]

Undocumented immigrants from Mexico formed the group that most heavily applied for amnesty via the IRCA (2,271,187 people), followed by El Salvador (168,283), Guatemala (71,048), Haiti (60,048), Colombia (34,884), Philippines (29,443), Dominican Republic (28,253), Pakistan (22,534), India (22,085), Peru (19,810), Jamaica (19,260), Honduras (18,169), Poland (17,673), Nicaragua (16,775), Ecuador (16,375), Nigeria (16,266), Iran (15,306), Canada (11,724), Korea (11,512), and China (11,338). [9]

In 1987, following a failed amendment to the IRCA, Reagan’s Immigration and Naturalization Service commissioner, Alan C. Nelson, announced the “Family Fairness” policy that protected from deportation the minor children of undocumented parents covered by the IRCA amnesty, as well as some spouses who met “compelling or humanitarian factors.” Republican President George H.W. Bush expanded upon this new policy, protecting from deportation undocumented family members pursuing the legalization process and allowing them to work if they were in the U.S. before the 1986 passage of the IRCA. These provisions were part of the Immigration Act of 1990. [1][12][13][14]

With these additional paths to legal citizenship now in place for immigrants, the federal government turned to the continuing problem of border enforcement and illegal immigration. In 1996, Democratic President Bill Clinton signed the Republican-sponsored Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which made the deportation of undocumented immigrants easier, made more undocumented immigrants eligible for deportation, and made becoming a legal resident or citizen more difficult. As a result of this new law, deportations increased to levels not seen since the Great Depression. However, the undocumented immigrant population also surged, which some experts attribute to increased border security that hindered travel in and out of the country, forcing immigrants in the country to stay. [15]

The population increase presented an issue for Republican President George W. Bush, whose 2007 plan for immigration reform was adamantly opposed to an “automatic path to citizenship or any other form of amnesty.” Bush’s plan leaned heavily on assimilating immigrants and called for undocumented immigrants to be “brought out of the shadows” so they could pay “a substantial penalty.” They would also be required to “learn English, pay their taxes, pass a background check, and hold a job for a number of years” before being eligible for legalization, at which point they would go to the “back of the line” for citizenship consideration behind everyone who had legally applied for citizenship, including refugees. But too few Senate Republicans supported the reform, and the initiative died. [16][17]

Although often considered a policy of President Barack Obama, the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act was actually introduced in the U.S. Senate on Aug. 1, 2001, by Orrin Hatch (R-UT), during the presidency of Geoge W. Bush. Several versions of the bill had been introduced in Congress since 2001, with bipartisan support, but none passed both houses. The most recent Senate version (S.264 -– Dream Act of 2021) and House version (H.R.6 -– American Dream and Promise Act of 2021) would have allowed undocumented immigrants who (1) were brought to the U.S. as children and have lived in the U.S. for four years continuously; (2) are high school graduates or GED recipients or enrolled in high school or a GED program; and (3) have no criminal convictions to remain in the country. The immigrants would then be able to apply for lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) on a conditional basis after 8 years (in the Senate bill) or 10 years (House bill) and after completing two years of college in good standing or graduating with a college degree, completing two years of military service, or three years of work (working at least 75 percent of the time). [18][19][20]

The amnesty debate had resurfaced in 2012 with the enactment of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a selective enforcement of immigration laws that some compare to Reagan and Bush’s “Family Fairness” policies. An executive order signed by Democratic President Barack Obama on June 15, 2012, DACA prevented the deportation of some undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children and allowed them to get work permits. The order did not, however, offer legalization or a path to citizenship, whereas the DREAM Act would have. [21][22]

In 2017, Republican President Donald Trump announced that his administration would end the DACA program in fulfillment of a campaign promise. But his attempt to kill the law was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, which stated that the administration did not offer “a reasoned explanation for its action.” A second attempt to kill DACA died in 2020 when Democrat Joe Biden won the presidency and asked the Department of Homeland Security to “preserve and fortify DACA.” The Biden administration then attempted to expand DACA, presenting Dreamers (as beneficiaries of DACA are called) with additional rights in the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House in 2021 but died in the Senate. On Jan. 17, 2025, a federal appeals court ruled that DACA was unlawful. The judge stayed the decision, allowing DACA recipients to continue renewing their status; however, new DACA applications were not allowed.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][79]

An Oct. 10, 2024, poll found 58 percent of Americans favored a path to citizenship over mass deportations, with Democrats more heavily in favor (75 percent) than Republicans (45 percent). [81]

For more detail on U.S. immigration history since 1607, and for the latest updates to U.S. immigration policy, see ProCon’s historical timeline.

So, should the U.S. government provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants? Explore the debate below.

If there’s one technology paying dividends for the financial sector, it’s artificial intelligence. AI has given the world of banking and finance new ways to meet the customer demands of smarter, safer and more convenient ways to access, spend, save and invest money.

AI in Finance Artificial intelligence (AI) in finance transforms the way people interact with money. AI helps the financial industry streamline and optimize processes ranging from credit decisions to quantitative trading and financial risk management.

The market is growing too. The market value of AI in finance was estimated to be $9.45 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow 16.5 percent by 2030.

And as the market expands, it’s important to know some of the key players. Let’s take a look at the areas where artificial intelligence in finance is gaining momentum and highlight the companies that are leading the way.

Companies Using AI in Finance Kensho Technologies

Enova

Scienaptic AI

Socure

Image: Shutterstock

AI Companies in Financial Credit Decisions

Credit is king. One report found that 27 percent of all payments made in 2020 were done with credit cards. But easier payment isn’t the only reason credit is important to consumers.

Having good credit makes it easier to access favorable financing options, land jobs and rent apartments. So many of life’s necessities hinge on credit history, which makes the approval process for loans and cards important.

Artificial intelligence solutions help banks and credit lenders make smarter underwriting decisions by using various factors that more accurately assess traditionally underserved borrowers in the credit decision making process.

These companies help the financial industry rethink the underwriting process.

Read Next: The Future of AI: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the World

Location: New York, New York

Gynger uses AI to power its platform for financing tech purchases, offering solutions for both buyers and vendors. The company says creating an account is quick and easy for buyers who can get approved to start accessing flexible payment terms for hardware and software purchases by the next day.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Enova uses AI and machine learning in its lending platform to provide advanced financial analytics and credit assessment. The company aims to serve non-prime consumers and small businesses and help solve real-life problems, like emergency costs and bank loans for small businesses, without putting either the lender or recipient in an unmanageable situation.

Location: New York, New York

Ocrolus offers document processing software that combines machine learning with human verification. The software allows business, organizations and individuals to increase speed and accuracy when analyzing financial documents. Ocrolus’ software analyzes bank statements, pay stubs, tax documents, mortgage forms, invoices and more to determine loan eligibility, with areas of focus including mortgage lending, business lending, consumer lending, credit scoring and KYC.

Location: New York, New York

Scienaptic AI provides several financial-based services, including a credit underwriting platform that gives banks and credit institutions more transparency while cutting losses. Its underwriting platform uses non-tradeline data, adaptive AI models and records that are refreshed every three months to create predictive intelligence for credit decisions.

Location: Burbank, California

Zest AI is an AI-powered underwriting platform that helps companies assess borrowers with little to no credit information or history. The platform uses thousands of data points and provides transparency that helps lenders better assess populations traditionally considered “at risk.” The company reported that auto lenders using machine-learning underwriting cut losses by 23 percent annually, more accurately predicted risk and reduced losses by more than 25 percent.

Location: New York, New York

Socure created ID+ Platform, an identity verification system that uses machine learning and AI to analyze an applicant’s online, offline and social data, which helps clients meet strict KYC conditions. The system runs predictive data science on information such as email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses and proxies to investigate whether an applicant’s information is being used legitimately. Socure is used by institutions like Capital One, Chime and Wells Fargo, according to its website.

Image: Shutterstock

AI Companies Managing Financial Risk

Time is money in the finance world, but risk can be deadly if not given the proper attention. Accurate forecasts are crucial to the speed and protection of many businesses.

Financial markets are turning to machine learning to create more exacting, nimble models. These predictions help financial experts utilize existing data to pinpoint trends, identify risks, conserve manpower and ensure better information for future planning.

The following companies are just a few examples of how artificial intelligence in finance is helping banking institutions improve predictions and manage risk.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Gradient AI specializes in AI-powered underwriting and claims management solutions for the insurance industry. For example, the company’s products for commercial auto claims are able to predict how likely a bodily injury claim is to cross a certain cost threshold and how likely it is to lead to costly litigation.

Location: Ames, Iowa

Workiva offers a cloud platform designed to simplify workflows for managing and reporting on data across finance, risk and ESG teams. It’s equipped with generative AI to enhance productivity by aiding users in drafting documents, revising content and conducting research. The company has more than a dozen offices around the globe serving customers in industries like banking, insurance and higher education.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Kensho, an S&P Global company, created machine learning training and data analytics software that can assess thousands of datasets and documents. Its data training software uses a combination of machine learning, cloud computing and natural language processing, and it can provide easily understandable answers to complex financial questions, as well as extract insights from tables and documents quickly. Traders with access to Kensho’s AI-powered database in the days following Brexit used the information to quickly predict an extended drop in the British pound, Forbes reported.

Location: Menlo Park, California

Ayasdi creates cloud-based machine intelligence solutions for fintech businesses and organizations to understand and manage risk, anticipate the needs of customers and even aid in anti-money laundering processes. Its Sensa AML and fraud detection software runs continuous integration and deployment and analyzes its own as well as third-party data to identify and weed out false positives and detect new fraud activity.

Image: Shutterstock

Companies Using AI in Quantitative Trading

Quantitative trading is the process of using large data sets to identify patterns that can be used to make strategic trades. Artificial intelligence is especially useful in this type of trading. AI-powered computers can analyze large, complex data sets faster and more efficiently than humans. The resulting algorithmic trading processes automate trades and save valuable time.

The following companies are just a few examples of how AI-infused technology is helping financial institutions make better trades.

More on AI Trading: How AI Trading Technology Works for Stock Investors

Location: New York, New York

Trumid is a fintech and fixed income trading platform. The company applies advanced analytics and AI technologies to develop products and data-driven tools that can optimize the experience of credit trading. Trumid also uses its proprietary Fair Value Model Price, FVMP, to deliver real-time pricing intelligence on over 20,000 USD-denominated corporate bonds. This AI-powered prediction engine is designed to quickly analyze and adapt to changing market conditions and help deliver data-driven trading decisions.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Powered by their AI and machine learning algorithms, Tegus is an investment research platform. The company helps clients research investment opportunities more efficiently by providing AI-generated summaries of expert interviews to help them make informed investment decisions.

Location: New York, New York

Canoe ensures that alternate investments data, like documents on venture capital, art and antiques, hedge funds and commodities, can be collected and extracted efficiently. The company’s platform uses natural language processing, machine learning and meta-data analysis to verify and categorize a customer’s alternate investment documentation.

Location: New York, New York

Entera is an AI-powered investment platform for real estate investors. The platform lets investors buy, sell and operate single-family homes through its SaaS and expert services. Investors can access homes from on and off-market sources. Additionally, Entera can discover market trends, match properties with an investor’s home and complete transactions.

Image: Shutterstock

Companies Using AI in Personalized Banking

Traditional banking doesn’t always cut it with today’s consumers. A 2021 survey from J.P. Morgan Chase found that 89 percent of respondents use mobile apps for banking. Additionally, 41 percent said they wanted more personalized banking experiences and information.

AI assistants, such as chatbots, use AI to generate personalized financial advice and natural language processing to provide instant, self-help customer service.

Here are a few examples of companies using AI to learn from customers and create a better banking experience.

Location: San Francisco, California

SoFi makes online banking services available to consumers and small businesses. Its offerings include checking and savings accounts, small business loans, student loan refinancing and credit score insights. The company applies AI in multiple ways. For example, SoFi members looking for help can take advantage of 24/7 support from the company’s intelligent virtual assistant.

Location: San Francisco, California

Chime provides banking services that can be accessed online or in-app. Users can receive their paychecks up to two days early and build their credit without monthly fees for overdrafts of $200 or less. It has a network of over 600,000 ATMs from which users can withdraw money without fees. The company partners with FairPlay to embed fairness into its algorithmic decisions.

Location: San Francisco, California

Affirm offers a variety of fintech solutions that include savings accounts, virtual credit cards, installment loans and interest-free payments. It aims to equip businesses and consumers with the tools necessary to purchase goods and services. The company’s platform supports commerce via mobile or digital.

Location: New York, New York

MoneyLion’s platform connects consumers with a variety of financial solutions, ranging from personal loans and money-making side hustles to giveaways and educational resources. Users can interact with the company’s AI-powered search tool to access personalized, actionable guidance to support their finance goals.

Image: Shutterstock

Companies Using AI in Cybersecurity and Fraud Detection for Banking

Every day, huge quantities of digital transactions take place as users move money, pay bills, deposit checks and trade stocks online. The need to ramp up cybersecurity and fraud detection efforts is now a necessity for any bank or financial institution, and AI plays a key role in improving the security of online finance.

Here are a few examples of companies providing AI-based cybersecurity solutions for major financial institutions.

More on AI CybersecurityAI Cybersecurity: 24 Companies to Know

Order.co helps businesses to manage corporate spending, place orders and track them through its software. Its clients can use the platform to manage costs and payments on a single unified bill for their operating expenses. The company also offers recommendations for spend efficiency and how to trim their budgets.

Ascent provides the financial sector with AI-powered solutions that automate the compliance processes for regulations their clients need. It analyzes regulatory data, customizes compliance workflows, constantly monitors for rules changes and sends quick alerts through the proper channels. The company aims for financial firms to have increased accuracy and efficiency.

Image: Shutterstock

Companies Using AI in Blockchain Banking

AI and blockchain are both used across nearly all industries — but they work especially well together. AI’s ability to rapidly and comprehensively read and correlate data combined with blockchain’s digital recording capabilities allows for more transparency and enhanced security in finance. AI models executed on a blockchain can be used to execute payments or stock trades, resolve disputes or organize large datasets.

Here are a few examples of companies using AI and blockchain to raise capital, manage crypto and more.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Wealthblock.AI is a SaaS platform that streamlines the process of finding investors. It helps businesses raise capital and handle automated marketing and messaging and uses blockchain to check investor referral and suitability. Additionally, Wealthblock’s AI automates content and keeps investors continuously engaged throughout the process.

Companies Using AI in Accounting

Location: Los Angeles, California

FloQast makes a cloud-based platform equipped with AI tools designed to support accounting and finance teams. Its solutions enable efficient close management, automated reconciliation workflows, unified compliance management and collaborative accounting operations. More than 2,800 companies use FloQast’s technology to improve productivity and accuracy.

Companies Using AI in Wealth Mangement

Location: Wakefield, Massachusetts

Vestmark offers a range of wealth management solutions, enabling personalized investing and fueling growth for its customers. The company serves firms, advisors and investment managers and has integrated AI capabilities into its offerings to enable automated, efficient workflows and deliver insights that support optimized portfolio management.

Automation fears have long haunted the future of work. Generative AI is now the latest technology to inspire fear and optimism.

AI will augment jobs in the future. However, the argument could be made that job augmentation for some means job replacement for others. For example, if a worker’s job is made 10 times easier, the positions created to support that job might become unnecessary.

A January 2025 McKinsey report stated that 70% of employees believe generative AI (GenAI) would change 30% or more of their work.

In past automation-fueled labor fears, machines would automate tedious, repetitive work. GenAI is different in automating creative tasks such as writing, coding and even music making . For example, musician Paul McCartney used AI to partially generate his late bandmate John Lennon’s voice to create a posthumous Beatles song . In this case, mimicking a voice worked to the musician’s benefit, but that might not always be the case.

GenAI might also disproportionately affect women’s jobs, according to a recent study from the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. Approximately 79% of working women have positions susceptible to automation, versus 58% of working men.

The Writers Guild of America also went on strike , saying they wanted more regulation of AI in addition to higher wages and more residuals from streaming platforms.

One recent case of AI job replacement came when a writer at a tech startup was let go without explanation, but later found references to her as “Olivia/ChatGPT” on the work Slack channel. She also found communications from her managers about how ChatGPT was cheaper than using a writer . So, while there was no official explanation for the job loss, the signs pointed to AI.

There’s also a another angle — that workers will collaborate with AI, but it will stunt their productivity. For example, a generative AI chatbot might create an overabundance of low-quality content. Editors would then need to write additional content to flesh out the articles, pushing the search for unique sources of information lower on their list of priorities.

AI needs a lot of human feedback. For example, LLMs train using a process called reinforcement learning from human feedback where people fine tune models by repeatedly ranking outputs from best to worst. A May 2023 paper also describes the phenomenon of model collapse , which states that LLMs malfunction without a connection to human-produced data sets.

Job replacement isn’t the only effect AI could have on work. The positive angle is human-machine cooperation. AI will help people improve their work experience by automating rote, repetitive tasks. The technology will maximize the “goods” of work while minimizing the “bads.” This may contribute to a surge in AI jobs and increased demand for AI skills.

Jobs most affected by AI

Writing is just one example of a job being automated by the latest AI systems, but there are many job types that could be affected in various ways, including the following:

1. Administrative

GenAI tools can help office administrators and assistants with tasks such as basic email correspondence, identifying data trends, finding mutually available meeting times across time zones and other summary/synthesis exercises.

For example, Microsoft 365 Copilot — a collection of AI-powered tools integrated into Microsoft’s productivity suite — could radically increase office workers’ productivity.

2. Content writers

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini can generate text that aims to convince readers that a human wrote it. This has implications for content writers, especially in fields that require less nuance, originality or factual accuracy. Original or specialized writing might become increasingly valuable as generic, AI-generated writing proliferates on the internet, obscuring genuine human perspectives.

These tools can aid content writers in developing ideas, fixing grammar or syntax and doing high-level research.

3. Coding

Programs such as ChatGPT can write fluent, syntactically correct code faster than most humans, so coders who are primarily valued for producing high volumes of low-quality code quickly might be concerned. Coders who produce a quality product might have nothing to fear, however, and use AI to improve their workflow instead.

4. Contractors

In April 2025, Duolingo’s CEO announced that the language learning company would be AI-first moving forward. One way they are looking to achieve this is by using AI where previously they would have hired contractors. Duolingo also announced a move to use AI in their hiring, joining the 70% of companies predicted to use AI in hiring by the end of 2025.

5. Customer service

The customer service sector offers many opportunities for automation. AI-powered chatbots can provide speedy, personalized responses to customer questions, reducing the need for human workers. There are many examples of AI in customer service pre-ChatGPT, including the following:

Robotic process automation.

Customer self-service.

Chatbots.

Sentiment analysis.

Customer service departments will likely continue to integrate the newest AI technologies.

Currently, ChatGPT can’t automate an entire contact center, but there are many ways it could lighten the workload, such as translating or summarizing customer inquiries.

6. Drivers

The prevalence of AI in vehicles can potentially affect car and truck driving jobs. Rideshare companies are partnering with self-driving car providers to minimize the need for human drivers and give riders the option to ride in an autonomous vehicle.

The trucking industry uses AI for driver assistance and accident prevention systems, route planning, predictive maintenance and more advanced driver training systems. AI is changing the role of the truck driver and their daily responsibilities. This has the potential to create new efficiencies in the space. It also might create new challenges as workers adapt to the technology.

7. Legal

There is significant evidence indicating AI will affect legal jobs.

AI will eventually perform many of the tasks paralegals and legal assistants typically handle, according to one study by authors from Princeton University, New York University and the University of Pennsylvania. A March 2023 study from Goldman Sachs said AI could perform 44% of the tasks that U.S. and European legal assistants typically handle. GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and greatest language model, passed the Uniform Bar Examination in the 90th percentile.

AI could help automate routine law tasks such as the following:

Document review.

Contract analysis.

Legal research.

Searches for relevant case law.

8. Marketing

AI can automate marketing-related tasks such as personalized content creation, customer segmentation, social media management and data analysis. Generative AI tools can help marketers create marketing content, personalize sales emails and score leads at a faster rate than humans can. AI can also help SEO marketers optimize content with meta descriptions and title tags, and solidify a consistent brand voice across marketing materials.

One example of a generative AI-powered marketing campaign was the #NotJustACadburyAd campaign, which used the digital likeness of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to create thousands of hyper-personalized ads for small local businesses. The campaign used a microsite that enabled small-business owners to create their own version of the ad featuring the Bollywood star.

9. Manufacturing

In manufacturing, AI has long played a critical role in automating repetitive, rote physical tasks. By using AI and robots to automate assembly line tasks such as product assembly, welding and packaging, manufacturers can benefit. Computer vision systems in manufacturing can identify flaws in the product using machine learning and sensor data. AI systems integrated with robots have the potential to increase precision, productivity and quality, reducing downtime on the assembly line and in manufacturing more broadly.

AI is also changing the nature of work in warehouses. Amazon fulfillment centers use autonomous mobile robots to help workers on the warehouse floor with retrieving and consolidating inventory.

10. Teachers

Teachers could be affected by AI in several ways. The immediate concern is that they will have a harder time detecting plagiarism or students cheating on assignments. But AI could help teachers by doing the following:

Acting as productivity tools.

Drafting lesson plans.

Generating quiz questions and mock tests.

Teacher sentiments range from being worried about the technology replacing them to insisting that the in-person classroom connection is essential to education.

Some people draw an analogy between ChatGPT and when students weren’t allowed to use calculators in the classroom. Now, most people have a calculator app on their smartphone. There might also be a time when it becomes accepted for students to use ChatGPT to aid with schoolwork.

11. Travel and tourism

AI can help travelers discover new destinations and travel opportunities. AI assistants and chatbots let users book flights, rent vehicles and find accommodations online and offer a personalized booking experience. AI can also perform flight forecasting, which helps prospective travelers find the cheapest time to book a flight based on automated analysis of historical price patterns.

Travel companies can also use AI to analyze the deluge of data that customers in their industry generate constantly. For example, travel companies can use AI to help aggregate and interpret customer feedback, reviews and polls to evaluate the company’s performance and develop strategies for improvement.

12. Translators

AI has the potential to affect the translation services industry. AI improves the capability of translation services, enabling automated, real-time translation in multiple languages. Translation requires a certain level of nuance, as translators need to be able interpret body language and emotions of the speaker or in the text they are translating.

Translation jobs that require less nuance — such as entry level jobs involving literal text translation — are more likely to implement AI successfully.

13. Finance

AI is also making an impact on finance and banking. GenAI could be used to monitor transactions and give detailed financial advice on how to save and spend efficiently. For example, Morgan Stanley uses AI-powered chatbots to organize its database.

AI has several use cases in banking.

14. Graphic designers

Adobe Photoshop’s new Generative Fill feature is one example of the way generative AI can augment the graphic design profession. The feature lets people without photo editing experience make photorealistic edits using a text prompt. Other tools — such as Dall-E and Midjourney — also create realistic-looking images and detailed artistic renderings from a text prompt.

15. Engineering

Generative design uses AI to expedite the computer-aided design process. Generative design helps with ideation, generating all computationally possible solutions to a problem within a given set of parameters — even when the design is completely novel and a radical change from anything that has come before.

Even though generative design affects mechanical design, it is unlikely to replace human engineers.

16. Human resources

The hype around AI and the fear of job losses has created a difficult dynamic for HR departments to manage in the interim.

“[Generative AI] will infiltrate every aspect of HR,” said Patrick Thibodeau, a senior news writer at TechTarget, in a podcast. However, AI-powered recruiting tools could be used to do the following:

Source qualified candidates.

Review resumes.

Automate recruiter tasks.

AI in recruiting has its positives and negatives.

AI chatbots could also be used internally to help employees access their benefits and perform other self-service tasks.

17. Retail

AI is affecting retail checkout and cashier positions as well, reducing the need for human employees. Automated self-checkout stations are becoming increasingly common. These systems can handle transactions independently, manage inventory and even collect data on customer behavior — such as purchase frequency and average basket weight. Automated self-checkout systems can also help to detect fraudulent activity.

In Amazon stores, AI-powered retail systems can automatically start a customer’s shopping session by using turnstiles to identify the customer and match their physical presence in the store to their online profile and digital wallet. Other stores use computer vision to automatically add a product to the customer’s virtual shopping cart when they remove the product from the shelf.

18. Supply chain

AI can provide transparency into increasingly complex and expansive supply chains for manufacturers. AI-powered supply chain management tools can track supplies as they make their way through the various links and partners in the supply chain. AI in supply chain management can potentially improve demand forecasting, inventory evaluation, customer communication, operational performance and even sustainability.

Despite, generative AI’s positive effect in this field, it also comes with risk in the form AI hallucinations, which can potentially introduce inaccurate or useless information.

AAA auto insurance comes from separate, regional insurance companies that operate under similar names and logos. AAA club membership works the same way, and you may need to become a member of your regional club to get auto insurance. That comes with a fee, but the resulting discount on your auto insurance may just make it worth it.

See what you could save on car insurance Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you. Zip Code ​ Get My Rates

Why you can trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage so you can choose the insurance policy that works best for you. These carrier ratings are specific to auto insurance — a company’s rating for other products may be different on our site. See our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.

How we review auto insurance companies In our auto insurance reviews, our editorial team considers both the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account: Financial strength. We use A.M. Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. NerdWallet does not recommend companies with a rating lower than a B. Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best auto insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints. Ease of use. This category looks at how easily consumers can interact with an insurer through its mobile app and website. This includes how much coverage information is offered online, whether a user can start and track a claim online and get a quote and mobile app scores based on the Apple and Google Play store ratings. Discounts. We look at both the kind of discounts a company offers and the total number of discounts available.

AAA auto insurance pros and cons

Pros Cons May receive an auto insurance discount for being a member of AAA. Insurance products differ depending on where you live. Multiple insurance products offered. May require AAA membership. You may have to change AAA insurance providers if you move states.

AAA auto insurance

NerdWallet looked at the three largest AAA auto insurance companies by market share in the U.S. To see specific counties in California served by CSAA Insurance Group and Auto Club of SoCal, see our Best Cheap Auto Insurance in California page.

AAA Auto insurer NerdWallet rating States available* Auto Club of SoCal 4.0 NerdWallet rating AL, AR, CA, HI, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MS, MO, NH, NM, OH, PA, TX, VA, VT, WV. Auto Club Group 3.5 NerdWallet rating FL, GA, IL, IA, IN, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, SC, TN, WI. CSAA Insurance Group 3.5 NerdWallet rating AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MT, NV, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, UT, VA, WV, WY. * Insurers may not cover all counties in each state.

AAA auto insurance coverage

When you’re shopping for car insurance coverage, it’s important to understand what car insurance coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. For instance, most states require a minimum amount of car insurance to drive a vehicle. Alternatively, if you want extra protection, you may be interested in full coverage insurance. Read about the most common types of car insurance coverage to see how they work.

Since AAA insurance comes from separate companies operating in many states, coverage options will depend on where you live. All insurers are required to offer state-mandated coverage where they operate. Most, including the three AAA affiliates we reviewed, also offer uninsured motorist protection, medical payments coverage, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage.

Also ask about the following types of coverage, which at least some AAA companies offer:

Gap insurance , which pays the difference between your car’s value and the balance of your loan or lease if the car is totaled or stolen.

OEM exterior repair coverage , which pays for original equipment manufacturer parts instead of aftermarket parts for covered external body repairs.

Rideshare insurance , which ensures you’re always covered during your rideshare job. Typical insurance from ridesharing companies only covers the period between accepting a ride and dropping off a customer.

Enhanced total loss replacement coverage, which pays to replace your car with a new model if it’s declared a total loss after an accident.

Auto insurance discounts

Most customers with AAA auto insurance receive a discount for being a AAA member. You may also be able to save by:

Being an alum of certain schools or having a certain occupation.

Having certain factory-installed safety equipment.

Owning a car with approved theft prevention devices (discount on comprehensive coverage).

Having continuous auto insurance coverage.

Meeting AAA’s standards for a safe driver.

Earning good grades if you’re a student.

Having a student on your policy who keeps their car at home while they’re away at school.

Adding a new young driver to an existing policy.

Completing a driver training course.

Insuring more than one vehicle with AAA.

Buying multiple insurance products from AAA.

Paying your premium in full.

Viewing bills and documents electronically and setting up automatic payments.

Purchasing your policy a few days before its effective date.

Being in the military.

Being a AAA member.

Like most insurers, AAA’s insurance companies offer many discounts, but they differ by state and company, so check with your local AAA club to see which are available to you.

🤓 Nerdy Tip First time shopping for auto insurance? Unsure of where to start? Check out our guide on how to shop for car insurance.

Pricing based on tracked driving habits

AAAdrive is a feature on the AAA app that looks at driving factors like speed, mobile phone distraction, time of day you drive and fatigue Members receive a discount based on their driving habits in addition to a discount for signing up.

See what you could save on car insurance Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you. Zip Code ​ Get My Rates

Complaints and customer satisfaction

NerdWallet looked at consumer complaint data for the three AAA auto insurance companies listed above.

Auto Club Group and CSAA Insurance Group both had close to the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Auto Club of SoCal had fewer complaints than expected for auto insurance.

In J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study [1] , Auto Club of SoCal was ranked No. 2 out of 17 companies for overall customer satisfaction. In the same study, Auto Club Group was rated No. 7 and CSAA was ranked No. 10.

AAA received an overall satisfaction score of 77 out of 100 by a pool of its customers in a NerdWallet survey conducted online in June and July 2024. To put that in perspective, the average score among eleven insurers was 79, and the highest was 81.

More about AAA auto insurance

Website: When you go to AAA.com, you’re prompted to enter your ZIP code and are redirected to your local chapter’s website. At that point, you can learn more about membership and insurance products, find contact information, or get a quote online.

Mobile apps: The Auto Club App lets you manage your policy and AAA membership in one place — as long as you belong to a club supported by the app. Otherwise, the AAA Mobile app is restricted to membership needs like trip planning or summoning roadside assistance, and includes AAAdrive.

Life, home and renters insurance from AAA

AAA sells home and renters insurance through regional companies. To learn more about the coverage options available, read our AAA home insurance review and AAA renters insurance review.

How We Rated Car Insurance Companies

To compile our ratings, we researched 75 car insurance companies, surveyed 1,144 car insurance policyholders, collected 394 National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) data points including the number of consumer complaints filed against such companies in 2024, and analyzed a total of 3,538 company features. The following describes our approach to researching car insurance companies to guide prospective consumers.

U.S. News Methodology for Evaluating Car Insurance Companies

1. We identified the companies people care most about.

U.S. News analyzed and compared a variety of publicly available data about car insurance companies. We found 75 car insurance companies that offer car insurance in the U.S. We then narrowed our list down to 29 car insurance companies that are accepting new business in states that cover at least 60% of the U.S. population. We further narrowed our list during our consumer survey, only including companies that reached the threshold of at least 30 respondents per company.

2. We collected data needed to make company comparisons.

With the companies determined, we conducted a comprehensive data collection on the company and its car insurance policy features to create a general summary of what consumers should know to assist with their purchasing decisions. We collected data via a consumer survey, NAIC, Quadrant Information Services, and company feature analysis.

(a) We surveyed 1,144 car insurance customers (641 women and 503 men, with an average age of 49.8 years) to assess their satisfaction with their services. The survey was conducted in February 2025, and the target respondents were individuals in the U.S. who currently have a car insurance policy from one of the 29 companies we identified. Survey respondents were located in the Northeast (32.3%), Midwest (26.0%), South (22.9%), and West (18.8%). We asked how satisfied they are with the following:

Value from the Policy

Claims Handling

Customer Service

Customer Loyalty

(b) We collected 394 NAIC data points, including consumer complaints and annual premiums for all companies at the subsidiary level. The complaint data points were weighed by the size of the annual premium written, and we aggregated the weighted data points to calculate the NAIC score at the parent company level.

(c) To get annual insurance premiums for this study, U.S. News worked with Quadrant Information Services. To find the rates, Quadrant works both with individual insurance companies, as well as publicly available Department of Insurance filings in all 50 states. Using data from these sources, Quadrant calculates expected insurance rates for individual driver profiles.Our study rates are based on profiles for male and female drivers aged 17, 25, 40, and 60. Vehicles used include the 2020 and 2025 Toyota Camry, 2020 and 2025 Toyota RAV4, and 2020 and 2025 Ford F-150, with annual mileages of 7,000 and 14,000 for each vehicle. Three car insurance coverage levels were used, as were credit tiers of good fair and poor. Clean driving records, as well as records with one accident, one speeding violation, or one DUI were also used in the calculations of certain driver archetypes. The three coverage levels we used are referred to as “low,” “medium,” and “high.” Low coverage refers to the minimum coverage required in each state. The medium coverage tier is $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury coverage, comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible, $50,000 property damage coverage, $50,000/$100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage per accident, and any other mandatory coverages a state may require. The high coverage tier is $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury coverage, comprehensive and collision coverage with a $500 deductible, $100,000 property damage coverage, $100,000/$300,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage per accident, as well as any other mandatory coverages a state may require. To get the average annual rate used in our analysis, we computed the mean rate for male and female drivers aged 25, 40, and 60 who drive 14,000 miles per year, have medium coverage, good credit, and a clean driving record. The rates are for comparative purposes only and should not be considered “average” rates available by individual insurers. Because car insurance rates are based on individual factors, your car insurance rates will differ.

(d) We collected data on 3,538 company features from the insurance providers’ websites. These features were selected based on what consumers care most about according to our survey results, including:

State Availability

Discounts

Purchasing Options

Required and Optional Coverage Options

3. We converted the raw data into standardized scores.

To account for different data types from the survey results (e.g., 5 = very satisfied) and the company features (e.g., $99.99), we standardized each data point by converting raw data into scores with a common unit of measurement. The standardization allowed us to combine different data types into our model while retaining the relative variability of the original data points for fair and accurate assessment.

Conversion to Standardized Scores

We converted the raw data (left) into standardized scores (right). The numeric values changed after the conversion, but the relative variability remained proportional to that of the original values.

4. We assigned weights to the standardized scores.

To integrate standardized scores into our model, we used the survey results and industry knowledge to identify which scores should influence the purchasing decision more strongly. We also considered the variability of the scores. If a score was highly variable across companies, we assigned more weight to that score. However, if a score was uniform for all companies, we reduced the weight of that score. For example, if all companies have a mobile app to manage the policy, we removed mobile app features from the model. This allowed us to enhance the model’s ability to detect meaningful differences by emphasizing the scores with stronger discriminant power. As a result, we arrived at the following weights:

(a) Cost (35% of the U.S. News Rating)

28% National Average Rate

7% Number of Discounts Available

(b) Customer Sentiment (25% of the U.S. News Rating)

15% Customer Service Section of the Survey

10% NAIC Complaint Index Score

(c) Survey (25% of the U.S. News Rating)

6% Value

6% Customer Service

6% Customer Loyalty

6% Claims Handling

(d) Coverage/ Features Score (15% of the U.S. News Rating)

9% Number of Add-On Coverages

6% State Availability Score

U.S. News Rating Breakdown

The U.S. News Rating for car insurance companies comprises data collected from the customer survey (40%: customer service, value for money, customer loyalty, and claims handling), company features (22%: state availability, discounts, add-on coverages), data from Quadrant information services (28%: national average rate), and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) (10%: complaint index). Percentage values are rounded to the nearest whole number for better display and do not sum to 100%.

5. We aggregated the weighted scores into the U.S. News Rating.

We combined the weighted scores and converted the value to the U.S. News Rating on a 5-point scale, with 5.0 being the best possible rating.

U.S. News Rating Formula

The U.S. News Rating is a sum of weighted scores on a 5-point scale, wherex = score, = weight, and n = number of scores in the rating.