Transforming finance: How CFOs are driving growth with AI
CFOs have taken the wheel. Recently, their role has evolved from being viewed as old-school into something far more strategic.
After all, without the intelligent management of a company's funds, it’s difficult to ensure long-term success. To achieve this, CFOs have embraced new developments like AI, recognising its importance for the future of finance.
That’s why The CFO’s Playbook for 2025 found that 68% of CFOs in the UK rate the value of AI as high or very high. Because when it’s used in the right way, AI has the power to transform finance. But there’s a catch. Without careful management, AI can create digital overload and a return to those old-school methods that finance teams are trying to leave behind.
To save you from that scenario, we’re pulling back the curtain on how CFOs are leveraging AI in 2025. From enhancing financial decision-making to streamlining manual processes, here’s what you need to know.
Can’t wait any longer for a full copy of The CFO’s Playbook for 2025? Snag your free copy now (then come back and read this).
The evolution of AI in finance
Finance teams get a bad rap. For years, they’ve been viewed as traditionalists, relying on calculators and spreadsheets to get the job done.
But these days, nothing could be further from the truth.
Over the last decade, AI has become an integral part of finance, with important developments including:
- Automation of manual processes
- Predictive analytics
- Financial modeling
- Report generation
- Machine learning
- Risk analysis
With so many possible applications, sometimes it can be hard to tell where AI will have the biggest impact. Knowing how other CFOs use AI can help you figure out where to start.
What AI are CFOs using? Insights from The CFO’s Playbook for 2025
CFOs have embraced AI across various business functions, from financial planning to eliminating manual work. These findings highlight AI’s biggest strength in finance: real-time insights and automation that free up CFOs for high-value strategic work.
The CFO’s Playbook for 2025 found the five most popular ways UK CFOs are using AI are:
- Financial summaries and overviews: 50%
- Real-time data and analytics: 46%
- Financial planning and analysis: 46%
- Consolidating large pieces of information: 43%
- Real-time cash flow monitoring: 41%
To see how else CFOs use AI to support their work, grab your full copy of The CFO’s Playbook for 2025.
Despite frequent discussions of AI’s impact on manual work, this use case only comes in 9th place, with 35% of CFOs using AI this way. But it’s a high priority for the future, with 20% of CFOs saying they plan to use AI to eliminate manual work in the long term, higher than any other activity.
AI for CFOs: Benefits and challenges
Used the right way, AI is a powerful way for CFOs to create organisational success and resilience. But used in the wrong way, it can create overwhelm and frustration. Experimenting with how AI fits within finance functions can help CFOs maximise the benefits and avoid the challenges.
Benefits
From eliminating manual tasks to speeding up decision-making, AI offers plenty of benefits. Here are our favourites.
Supports decision-making at speed
The world moves fast, especially at the moment. Inflation, recessions, and geopolitical unrest can impact organisational success, and CFOs sometimes need to react to these at a moment's notice.
By analysing huge datasets in near real-time, AI can help support decision-making at speed. This means CFOs can quickly assess resilience, mitigate risks, and maintain business continuity during uncertainty.
Improves visibility
By consolidating data and providing real-time reporting, AI boosts visibility, helping CFOs maintain a comprehensive oversight of cash flow and finances.
This helps CFOs make informed decisions. Crucially, it also provides the level of detail needed to communicate the reasoning behind these decisions to the rest of the c-suite.
Reduces manual work
Our report found that for 42% of CFOs, their biggest challenge is having too much manual work and not enough time for strategic thinking. But at the same time, they’re expected to become change-makers.
Using AI in the right way can help remove the burden of this manual work, allowing CFOs the time and mental headspace they need for the decisions that matter most.
Cost efficiencies
With the right combination of tech, AI helps minimise operating costs. Duplicate payments can be instantly identified, unnecessary recurring payments or subscriptions are highlighted, and machine learning algorithms can flag potential discrepancies.
For more detailed case studies and implementation strategies for each of these benefits, download your full copy of The CFO’s Playbook for 2025.
Challenges
Just like anything else, AI brings plenty of challenges. But with the right approach, many of these can be avoided.
Skills gaps
CFOs—and their finance teams—have had to adapt fast. The rapid adoption of AI has left some on the back foot, without the specialised skills needed to manage these tools.
But finance leaders are addressing this gap. Our report found that 65% of businesses say they’ll be placing more focus on AI and tech skills when hiring for finance teams.
Adoption barriers
Sometimes, AI is still seen as unnecessary. This resistance to change can lead to an over-reliance on legacy financial systems and time-consuming manual processes.
To combat this, CFOs need to communicate the benefits of AI, how they plan to integrate it into their workflows, and the kinds of positive change they expect it to bring.
Digital overload
New tech can be exciting. But it also has the potential to be overwhelming. Our report found that 65% of teams using AI extensively say digital overload is sending them back to manual tools like spreadsheets and calculators.
When considering how to use AI, finance leaders need to ensure they prioritise an integration-first strategy. The goal is to use the right balance of specialised technology, without creating an unmanageable tech stack.
What does the future of AI in CFO roles look like?
The ability to harness AI and automation—in the right way—is becoming a critical differentiator for successful CFOs.
‘The time for cautious observation has passed and the next 12 months will likely determine which finance teams emerge as leaders in the AI-enabled future. Those who act now, with clear strategy and purpose, will find themselves not just participating in the AI race, but helping to define its course.’
—Pri Nagashima, VP of Data, Analytics and AI, Pleo
This combination of technology, strategy, and purpose is helping CFOs earn their stripes as change-makers. Our report found that 89% of UK businesses that use AI extensively say their CFOs are empowered to become change-makers. In businesses that rarely use AI, or have no plans to, that drops to 71%. The change-maker role is becoming increasingly important as CFOs look to create a synergy between finance and business strategy.
With AI on their side, this synergy is much more achievable. But CFOs also need to ensure a human touch. Our report found that in addition to honing their own skills with AI, finance leaders need to create teams with the right balance of AI expertise, financial know-how, and soft skills.
Shaping the future of finance
Right now, CFOs are in a powerful position. Their skill set is crucial for business growth and resilience—so long as they’re given the time and data needed to succeed.
Used correctly, AI helps solve both of those issues, removing the need for time-consuming manual tasks while also providing the deep insights CFOs need to drive real change.
The CFO’s Playbook for 2025 is packed full of the insights, frameworks, and practical guidance you need to transform your business function. Download your copy today and access the complete playbook for leveraging AI as a strategic CFO, in 2025 and beyond.