Finance Leaders Set for 600% Surge in Agentic AI Adoption by 2026, Survey Finds

Finance Leaders Forecast Sixfold Growth in Agentic AI Adoption

A recent survey by Wolters Kluwer reveals a striking trend among finance leaders: agentic AI adoption is set to increase significantly. Currently, only 6% of finance professionals use agentic AI, but 38% plan to integrate it within the next 12 months. This shift is expected to push total adoption to 44% by 2026, marking a 600% rise.

Survey Highlights and Context

The data comes from a survey conducted with 392 finance leaders on 21 May 2025 during the CCH Tagetik inTouch25 conference, which focuses on corporate performance management innovation. The findings shed light on how AI is reshaping finance teams and workflows.

Economic Volatility Drives AI Uptake

Economic uncertainty has been a key motivator for finance leaders embracing AI. About 67% of respondents started using AI for Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) due to recent market conditions. Another 14% plan to increase AI use, while 8% intend to maintain their current levels.

Team Resources and Skills

• 33% of finance leaders are considering new hires to better manage volatility.
• 24% are thinking about team restructuring.
• 22% recognize resource gaps but cannot make changes.

AI-related skills are highly valued, with 85% saying these are important during recruitment and 11% calling them essential. Additionally, 44% point to data readiness as a key factor driving AI adoption.

Benefits and Efficiency Gains

Accuracy and error reduction top the list of AI benefits for 40% of finance leaders. Meanwhile, 36% emphasize improved efficiency and productivity. When it comes to time savings:

• 42% expect to save 10% of working time (about 26 days) in the next year.
• 24% anticipate a 20% time reduction (52 days).
• 22% foresee a 5% time saving (13 days).

These gains free up capacity for more strategic tasks.

Supporting Finance Teams with AI Learning

Wolters Kluwer has launched a Learning Hub aimed at boosting AI fluency and data skills among finance professionals. This resource is designed to help teams use AI technology more effectively and improve productivity.

Advances in Agentic AI

Wolters Kluwer’s CEO of Corporate Performance & ESG, Karen Abramson, highlighted their AI-powered platform, the CCH Tagetik Intelligent Platform with Ask AI. This platform now includes an embedded super agent that:

• Responds to voice commands in multiple languages.
• Allows data exploration without IT expertise.
• Tests assumptions and runs analyses automatically.

Agentic AI is reshaping how finance leaders work by automating complex tasks and enabling faster insights.

Conclusion

With economic pressures pushing finance teams to adopt agentic AI, the coming years will see a dramatic rise in AI-driven finance operations. Teams that invest in AI skills and data readiness will be better positioned to improve accuracy, save time, and focus on strategic priorities.

For finance professionals looking to enhance their AI capabilities, exploring targeted training can provide a valuable edge. Check out Complete AI Training’s finance-focused courses to stay ahead.