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Financial services CFOs plan bigger AI investments
Financial services CFOs are moving faster and with greater conviction on AI than their global peers, especially over the medium term. Over the next two years, 63% plan to increase AI budgets by 30% or more, compared with 37% across other industries. That signals a move beyond experimentation to scaled investment.
The ambition to scale extends beyond finance and IT into customer-facing functions, reflecting a broader view of AI as a catalyst for enterprise transformation rather than simply a tool for back-office efficiency. At the same time, investment priorities remain shaped by the industry's regulatory and risk environment, with a stronger focus on quality, controls, and service levels alongside cost efficiency.
AI adoption broadens across finance
While financial services CFOs are investing substantially in AI, they have yet to pull ahead in deploying next-generation AI. Adoption remains concentrated in generative AI and machine learning, with agentic AI still largely in the pilot phase, mirroring the broader market.
Financial services stands apart for the breadth of its AI adoption. CFOs have implemented or scaled generative AI across nearly every finance subfunction, including treasury, accounting, accounts payable, and investor relations, with financial planning and analysis (FP&A) close behind. Financial services organizations are reinforcing this momentum in analytical and decision-intensive functions such as planning, treasury, and accounting.
The result is a more balanced, enterprise-wide AI capability. However, higher levels of investment have not yet translated into scaled autonomous execution, leaving significant opportunity to capture the next wave of value.
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