AI-empowered financial advisory services (or robo-advisory services) emerge as one of the channels to attract customers to invest in financial products that integrate the environment, social, and governance (ESG) criteria to their investment objectives. This reasoning is often based on the assumption that AI is more transparent in fees and unbiased than conventional human advisors, while at the same time, lowering the entry bar for young and low-budget customers. In automated services with little or no human intervention, users’ experience and ability to use this type of service play a critical role in supporting consumer investment decisions. However, the impact of robo-advisor user experience towards customers’ preference for sustainable investment choices has not been addressed by previous studies. In the long run, can robo-advisory services significantly support or promote a more sustainable investment portfolio to customers? We provide initial insights on these questions based on a mixed-method user test, including a pre-test survey, observations of robo-advisor usage, and a post-test retrospective interview. The preliminary results show that this AI-empowered system and its service have not fulfilled the expectations to support customers’ sustainable investment decision-making due to the lack of comprehensible information and transparency. Firstly, we explain the relationships between customers’ intention to select a sustainable portfolio with their features and attitudes towards AI. The observation and interview data reveal that a standardized definition and criteria of sustainable investment and portfolios are needed for customers to establish a fundamental understanding of this service. Also, customers demand more explanations in the final recommendation automatically generated by AI.