It is the question every trader is asking in 2026: can I just point AI at the charts and let it pass my evaluation for me?
The honest answer is yes and no. AI is a powerful tool for preparation and analysis, but the moment it starts placing trades for you, or you start following AI-generated signals, you cross into territory that can close your account. This guide explains exactly where the line sits, using Alpha Capital's published rules.
General information only. Simulated accounts, simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based and outcomes are not guaranteed. Always confirm the latest rules on the help centre before trading.
Quick answer
You can use AI and ChatGPT to support your trading, but not to replace your decision-making.
- Allowed: AI for research, analysis, learning, journaling, and building a trading plan that you act on yourself
- Not allowed: Fully automated AI bots or EAs that execute trades without human oversight
- Not allowed: Following AI-generated signals shared to a group, which counts as group trading
In short, AI can help you think. It cannot trade for you, and you cannot outsource your decisions to an AI signal feed.
What AI use is allowed
If you are the one making the final decision on every trade, AI is just a research tool, like a news feed or a charting indicator.
Allowed AI use | Why it is fine |
|---|---|
Market research | Summarising news, earnings, or macro context |
Strategy learning | Explaining concepts, rules, and setups |
Trade journaling | Reviewing your trades and spotting patterns |
Backtesting ideas | Helping you analyse historical scenarios |
Planning | Drafting a rule-based plan you execute manually |
The common thread is human oversight. You decide, you click, you manage the risk.
What AI use is prohibited
This is where traders get caught. Two specific uses can end your evaluation immediately.
1. Fully automated AI bots and EAs
Alpha Capital allows Expert Advisors on MT5, but only as risk management and trade assistance tools, for example lot size calculators, stop-loss and take-profit management, and break-even functionality.
Automated EAs that execute trades independently based on indicators, without human oversight, are strictly prohibited and will not be approved under any circumstances. That includes third-party bots and fully automated strategies, which is exactly what an "AI trading bot" usually is.
High-frequency trading, latency arbitrage, and any form of automated trading bot will result in immediate account closure.
2. Following AI-generated signals
Trading based on signals is treated as group trading, which is prohibited. If you take an AI signal service and trade what it tells you, you are not demonstrating the independent skill the firm is looking for.
It gets riskier in groups: if multiple traders use the same AI or EA and place identical trades, that is treated as a breach of the No Group Trading policy and can fail the accounts involved.
The line, made simple
Scenario | Allowed? |
|---|---|
ChatGPT explains a strategy, you trade it your way | Yes |
AI summarises the news before you decide | Yes |
AI tool helps size your position (approved risk EA on MT5) | Yes, if pre-approved |
An AI bot opens and closes trades for you | No |
You copy AI signals from a shared feed or group | No |
Many traders run the same AI bot and place identical trades | No |
A note for US traders
US residents trade on DXtrade and TradeLocker, and EA functionality is only available on MT5. So in practice, US-based traders cannot run EAs at all, AI-powered or otherwise. AI for research and planning is still fine, because that is just analysis.
If you want to use an EA the right way
For approved, non-automated EAs (risk management tools) on MT5:
- Click "Enable EA" during checkout
- Contact support to process the enabling
- Email the support team your EX5 file (and MQ5 source where available) for pre-approval before using it
- If you want the EA on a qualified account, it must be enabled and used during the assessment
If you are ever unsure whether a tool is compliant, ask Alpha Capital to review it before you start. That one email can save your account.
What happens if you break these rules
The consequences are strict and clearly published:
- Prohibited or unapproved EAs lead to immediate disqualification from the evaluation
- High-frequency trading, latency arbitrage, and automated bots result in immediate account closure
- Signal following and group trading lead to account termination
- Breaches may lead to permanent account termination
The safest path is simple: use AI to get smarter, then make and manage every trade yourself.
Related Alpha Capital pages
- Prohibited trading strategies on Alpha Capital
- Copy trading UK: how it works and prop firm policies
- Alpha Capital rules explained
- Why most traders fail evaluations
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ChatGPT to help with my prop firm evaluation?
Yes, for research, analysis, learning, and journaling, as long as you make and manage every trade yourself. What you cannot do is let AI execute trades for you or follow AI-generated signals, both of which can close your account.
Can I use an AI trading bot on Alpha Capital?
No. Fully automated EAs and bots that execute trades without human oversight are strictly prohibited and will not be approved under any circumstances. Automated bots can result in immediate account closure.
Are EAs allowed on Alpha Capital at all?
Yes, but only on MT5 and only as risk management and trade assistance tools, such as lot size calculators and stop-loss or take-profit management. They must be pre-approved by email before use. Fully automated trade-execution EAs are not allowed.
Is following AI signals against the rules?
Yes. Trading based on signals is treated as group trading, which is prohibited. If multiple traders follow the same AI signals and place identical trades, the accounts involved can fail.
Can US traders use AI EAs on Alpha Capital?
US residents trade on DXtrade and TradeLocker, which do not support EA functionality, so EAs are not available to them. AI for research and planning is still fine because it is just analysis.
What happens if I use a prohibited AI bot?
It can lead to immediate disqualification from the evaluation, immediate account closure, and in some cases permanent account termination. Always get a tool pre-approved if you are unsure.
Alpha Capital Group is a proprietary trading firm based in the United Kingdom. Accounts operate in a simulated environment with simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based and outcomes are not guaranteed.
