Only 28% of Finance Teams See Measurable Results From AI Investments
Finance departments are investing heavily in artificial intelligence tools, yet most are not seeing financial payoff. A survey of 321 U.S. finance and accounting decision-makers found that just 28% whose teams use AI report measurable financial impact from those investments.
The gap widens at larger companies. While 100% of firms with 1,000+ employees have invested in AI, 72% of them say they haven't seen measurable results. At smaller companies, 48% report no measurable impact.
Larger companies are also more pessimistic about timing. Thirty-five percent expect to wait a year or more for AI to deliver financial results, compared with 15% of smaller firms.
Where AI Falls Short in Finance
Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents said AI's promise doesn't match its reality in finance operations. Three obstacles dominate:
- Difficulty integrating AI outputs into finance workflows (41%)
- Difficulty embedding AI across multiple teams and handoffs (39%)
- AI insights that conflict with core finance system data (35%)
The core problem is trust. Finance requires precision, traceability and control. AI outputs must be validated, explained and reconciled within audit and regulatory frameworks. When AI fails that test, it introduces risk rather than reducing it.
Security and Oversight Remain Top Concerns
Ninety-one percent of finance professionals have concerns about using AI for core financial processes. The leading worries are:
- Cybersecurity risks and data privacy (45%)
- Lack of human oversight (38%)
- Data quality, integrity and reliability (36%)
When asked what "trustworthy AI" looks like, more than half (53%) preferred AI embedded directly in existing systems. Only 25% trusted AI solutions built by their own organization, and 13% trusted AI-native solutions.
For more on AI for Finance and CFO-specific strategies, explore the AI Learning Path for CFOs.
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