After years of quiet advancement, AI has finally exploded onto center stage—transforming not only our day-to-day experiences but also the very foundation of how we work. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have demonstrated the immense potential of AI to reshape business processes, including one of the most critical areas of enterprise operations: corporate finance.
What AI Means for Finance Professionals
Finance teams are already feeling the impact. From workflow automation to real-time data analysis, AI is enabling finance professionals to move faster, forecast smarter, and deliver more strategic insights. With CFOs at the helm of digital transformation, AI, advanced analytics, and machine learning (ML) are rapidly redefining the roles and expectations of FP&A teams.
Naturally, this leads to a pressing question for financial analysts: Is AI coming for my job?
AI Applications That Are Transforming Finance
Organizations across industries are racing to implement AI to gain competitive advantages. According to Gartner, outsourcing for AI-enabled finance processes is expected to jump from 6% to 40% by 2024. The following use cases are already making waves:
1. Automated Workflows
Time-consuming tasks such as budget approvals and invoice processing are being streamlined with AI. This frees up finance teams to focus on more strategic work.
2. Data Management
AI automates data aggregation, cleaning, and validation—delivering actionable insights faster and reducing manual error.
3. Risk Management
AI's ability to learn from patterns in data allows finance teams to improve credit risk models, assess liquidity, and identify anomalies in real time.
For a deeper dive, read our practical guide to AI in finance.
Will AI Replace Finance Jobs?
The fear that machines will replace humans has lingered for decades—fuelled by Hollywood’s dystopian narratives. But in finance, the story is different.
Rather than replacing finance roles, AI is augmenting them. As Romain Niccoli, Pigment’s Co-CEO, puts it: “AI simply removes the uninteresting part of the work.” By automating low-value, repetitive tasks, AI allows finance professionals to focus on high-impact, judgment-driven work.
What AI Will (and Won’t) Do
✅ AI will take over:
- Manual report generation
- Data aggregation and cleansing
- Simple variance analysis
- Routine approvals
❌ AI won't replace:
- Strategic thinking
- Business prioritization
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Navigating complex regulations
- Interpreting data within context
Managing the Risks
Of course, AI isn’t without its challenges. As Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, notes: “AI can amplify risk as well as benefits.” Issues like data privacy, explainability, bias, and compliance remain critical. Regulation is coming, especially in Europe, where the EU’s proposed AI Act will set new standards for governance and use.
This is why finance leaders must balance innovation with oversight, ensuring that the tools they adopt align with organizational goals, ethical standards, and regulatory expectations.
The Evolution of Finance Roles
CFOs are increasingly adopting AI to reduce costs, drive growth, and support smarter, faster decision-making. As AI becomes more embedded into the finance function, it is transforming the role of the FP&A analyst from number-cruncher to business advisor.
This shift is ushering in a new generation of finance teams—ones that are:
- More strategic: focused on driving long-term business value
- More collaborative: partnering with business leaders and operations
- More analytical: using real-time insights to guide decisions
- More adaptive: embracing continuous learning and change
A Glimpse at the Future: Pigment AI
At Pigment, we see this transformation firsthand. That’s why we’ve built Pigment AI—an OpenAI-powered tool that brings the power of generative AI directly into the heart of financial planning.
With natural language prompts, users can now build models, generate forecasts, and visualize data—all through simple conversation. Whether you're a seasoned analyst or new to planning, Pigment AI makes it easier to drive impact.
What Comes Next: The Office of the CFO in 2025
This evolution isn’t a trend—it’s a new era. The modern CFO is no longer just a steward of financial accuracy but a key strategic partner. AI is helping accelerate that shift, but long-term success depends on how well finance leaders can align people, process, and technology. To better understand how the finance function is evolving and what it will take to succeed in the years ahead, we invite you to explore our flagship research: Download the Office of the CFO 2025 report and discover how leading organizations are future-proofing finance.
