The AI Recession Portfolio: what GPT was asked to hold for a downturn, and how to follow it

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Everyone wants a recession Portfolio right up until there isn't a recession.

That's the whole trade-off with this one, and it's worth understanding before anything else. Let me explain.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

1) What it is

The AI Recession Portfolio is created and managed by Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs, an independent Pilot.

Its description says the lab pairs a GPT model with macroeconomic data to choose assets it considers more resilient in downturns. The source is listed as the lab prompting ChatGPT.

So the model is the lab's research tool. The lab runs the process and owns the decisions.

2) What the aim can't tell you

I want to be honest with you. More resilient in downturns is the lab's aim, not a result, and not something anybody can promise. It's also an aim about one kind of market. It says nothing about how the Portfolio does when the economy is fine.

3) What defensive usually means

For those unaware, when investors talk about recession-resistant holdings, they usually mean things people keep buying no matter what: groceries, utilities, healthcare, and short-term government debt.

I'm not saying that's what this Portfolio holds. I don't reprint holdings on these pages, because they change and this page doesn't. What it holds on any given day is in the app, with a date on it. I'm saying that's the general shape of the idea.

4) The real trade-off

Nobody times recessions reliably. Not economists, not models, not me.

So if you hold a defensive Portfolio through a strong market, expect it to lag. That's not a malfunction. It's the cost of being positioned for a downturn that might not come. If you'd get frustrated watching it trail a booming market, decide that now, not later.

Other Portfolios built around downturns, and how they differ, are in Is there an app that invests defensively for me?.

5) Where it sits in the lab's lineup

The lab runs seven Portfolios, from one-model tests to themes like this one. The full list is in Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs on Autopilot.

6) How following works

Pick the Portfolio, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to the account you already have. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put.

A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier is $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. Pilot subscriptions are separate and add on for each Pilot you subscribe to. Because it's a flat dollar amount, it's a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.

TLDR: The AI Recession Portfolio uses GPT and macro data to pick assets the lab considers more resilient in downturns. That's an aim about one kind of market, and in a strong market you should expect it to lag.

Frequently asked questions

AI Recession Portfolio

A Portfolio created and managed by Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs, an independent Pilot, that pairs a GPT model with macroeconomic data to choose assets the lab considers more resilient in downturns. It's built for downturns, so expect it to lag in strong markets.

AI Recession Portfolio Autopilot

It runs in the brokerage account you already have. Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs creates and manages it as an independent Pilot, and Autopilot Advisers sends the orders when it changes.

How do I follow the AI Recession Portfolio in my brokerage account?

Pick it in the app, connect your brokerage, and allocate money. When the Portfolio changes, Autopilot Advisers sends the orders and your broker fills them. Expect it to lag in strong markets.

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Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

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