In the world of corporate finance, artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept but a present-day imperative. We’re joined by Priya Jaiswal, a leading authority on business transformation, to dissect this pivotal moment. We’ll explore the curious gap between AI’s acknowledged importance and its slow adoption, the future applications set to redefine financial operations, and the profound impact of this technological shift on leadership and talent development. Priya will guide us through the evolving landscape where cultural skills are becoming as critical as technical expertise, and where top-down strategic focus is reshaping the very structure of corporate governance.
Many CFOs acknowledge AI’s critical importance, yet fewer than 10% are actively scaling use cases. What are the primary barriers causing this gap, and what practical steps will help organizations move from acknowledgment to implementation? Please provide specific details.
It’s a fascinating and critical disconnect, isn’t it? You have this groundswell of agreement—nearly half of all CFOs in a major survey calling AI absolutely critical—yet the action doesn’t match the sentiment. The core barrier is that for many, the technology still feels abstract and its use cases are very new. It’s one thing to say “AI is the future,” but it’s another to know precisely where to start. The first practical step is to demystify it. Instead of a sweeping, company-wide initiative, CFOs should begin by building a clear, focused strategy that identifies specific, high-impact pain points. The second step is infrastructure. You cannot run sophisticated models on legacy systems. It’s about moving from a theoretical appreciation to the tangible, often unglamorous, work of strategy development and foundational investment.
A rapid increase in scaled AI adoption is projected, potentially reaching 40% in a few years. Beyond repeatable processes in controllership, such as invoicing, what emerging use cases will drive this growth, and how should CFOs prioritize these new opportunities?
That projected leap from under 10% to over 40% in just a few years feels ambitious, but it’s entirely plausible because the value proposition is becoming undeniable. The initial wave, which is already happening, targets the low-hanging fruit. We’re seeing nearly 80% of current applications in controllership—automating journal entries, accounts payable, and other highly repeatable tasks. This is where AI delivers immediate efficiency. The next wave, which will drive that major growth, moves from efficiency to intelligence. Imagine using AI to analyze thousands of historical client contracts to identify subtle patterns and uncover leverage points for future negotiations. That isn’t just about saving time; it’s about creating value. CFOs should prioritize by creating a balanced portfolio: use the quick wins in controllership to build momentum and fund the more strategic, forward-looking projects in areas like FP&A and treasury.
There’s a debate about AI’s impact on talent development: some fear it will erode foundational skills, while others see it as an enabler. How can leaders use AI to augment decision-making without stunting the professional growth of their junior talent?
I’ve heard this debate play out in real-time among finance leaders, and it’s a valid concern. The fear is that if a machine does the foundational work, the next generation of leaders will never develop the muscle memory and deep understanding that comes from that experience. However, the more forward-thinking view is that AI is an incredible enabler. The key is how you frame its use. Leaders must position AI not as a replacement for human intellect, but as a powerful assistant. It can handle the laborious data gathering and processing, which frees up junior talent to focus on higher-order tasks: interpreting the data, asking critical questions, and modeling scenarios. The responsibility of leadership is to ensure that technology evolves to support, not supplant, human decision-making and to actively coach their teams on how to partner with these new tools.
As AI handles more technical tasks, cultural skills like building followship and developing others become critical. In practical terms, what does this look like for a CFO, and how can they cultivate these virtues within their teams to lead a successful AI-driven transformation?
This is perhaps the most profound shift of all. As the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of finance become increasingly automated, the CFO’s role elevates to the ‘who’ and ‘why.’ In practical terms, “building followship” means creating a compelling vision that your team can rally behind. Instead of just announcing a new AI platform, a CFO must articulate how this technology will make their team’s work more meaningful, strategic, and valuable. It’s about alleviating the fear of replacement and inspiring excitement for evolution. Cultivating this means shifting from a manager who directs tasks to a leader who develops people. It involves creating psychological safety for experimentation, celebrating learning from failures, and investing heavily in training that focuses not just on using the tools, but on the critical thinking and communication skills needed to translate AI-generated insights into business strategy.
Firms are now appointing dedicated AI officers and seeking board members with AI expertise. How does this “top of thehouse” focus translate into day-to-day strategy, and what is the ideal working relationship between a new AI officer and the CFO?
This top-down focus is a game-changer. When you have board-level expertise and a dedicated C-suite officer for AI, it sends an unmistakable signal throughout the organization: this is not an IT project; it is a core business strategy. On a day-to-day basis, this translates into legitimacy, resources, and urgency. Projects that might have languished in a departmental silo now have executive sponsorship. The ideal relationship between a CFO and an AI officer is one of symbiotic partnership. The CFO brings the deep, nuanced understanding of the business—the financial processes, the strategic objectives, the critical pain points. The AI officer brings the technological art of the possible. Together, they can bridge the gap between business need and technical solution, ensuring that AI initiatives are not just technologically impressive but are laser-focused on driving tangible financial and strategic outcomes.
What is your forecast for the evolution of the CFO role over the next five years?
Over the next five years, the CFO role will complete its transformation from a financial historian to a strategic futurist. The focus will shift dramatically from retrospective reporting to predictive and prescriptive analytics. The CFO will spend less time explaining what happened last quarter and more time using AI-powered models to advise the CEO on what is likely to happen next and what levers to pull. Consequently, the most valuable skills will not be in closing the books, but in interpreting complex data sets, communicating insights with influence, and leading organizational change. The future CFO is less of a number cruncher and more of a business architect, using data as the raw material to design a more resilient and profitable enterprise.
