In 2026, CFOs predict AI transformation, not just efficiency gains

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• Success depends on fixing foundational systems; layering AI over broken processes won't deliver results

  80% confidence

• 2026 will mark a turning point where advances in generative AI and predictive analytics will enable finance teams to move beyond automation toward real-time insights and scenario modeling

  80% confidence

• Consolidation needs to happen before widespread AI implementation

  80% confidence

• The orchestration of systems, data, and workflows through the use of generative AI will serve to augment end-to-end visibility and cross-functional scenario analysis, planning, and reporting

  80% confidence

• Leaders will need to move beyond pilots and start treating AI and agentic systems as real team members that take on work and drive outcomes

  80% confidence

• AI will help CFOs anticipate risks, optimize capital allocation, and improve decision-making with unprecedented speed and accuracy

  80% confidence

• In 2026, AI will move finance from retrospective reporting to real-time decision making

  80% confidence

• AI will continue to force finance leaders to enact more discipline around how technology investments are evaluated and measured

  80% confidence

• At full potential, AI enables finance teams to run hundreds or thousands of M&A scenarios before the first board discussion and predict customer churn before it impacts revenue

  80% confidence

• There's no universal metric for AI ROI, as success depends on the function and problem being solved

  80% confidence

• The era of buying AI for AI's sake is over

  80% confidence

• Success will hinge on strong governance, human oversight, ROI discipline, and building digital acumen that empowers talent

  80% confidence

• Predictive analytics and competitive benchmarking will become essential, enabling CFOs to anticipate market shifts and optimize decisions with speed and precision

  80% confidence

• In 2026, AI will continue to disrupt low-value, transactional activities, freeing teams to focus on higher-value strategic work

  80% confidence

• In 2026, leaders will shift from 'What can AI do?' to 'How do we build the foundation for scale?'

  80% confidence

• Success in 2026 will be defined by how we mature our AI strategy to ensure it is both agile, durable, and enterprise-grade

  80% confidence

• Core finance and accounting systems will enter a phase of end-to-end connectivity, visibility, flexibility, and interconnectedness with all business applications across departments

  80% confidence

• In 2026, AI won't be a future concept for finance; it will be a business necessity

  80% confidence

• e.l.f. Beauty will continue to explore how to best leverage AI in finance to lean into its strengths

  80% confidence

• If AI is only being used to do the same work faster, its value is being underutilized. The real power comes from doing different work, strategic work that drives outcomes

  80% confidence

• In 2026, CFOs need to shift from financial gatekeepers to transformational architects who drive strategy and shape decisions

  80% confidence

• AI will not replace human experience or judgment, but it will quickly expose where it's missing and reward organizations that connect vision to AI-powered execution at scale

  80% confidence

• CFOs who modernize architecture and skills will convert pilots into durable productivity, faster cycle times, and stronger margins

  80% confidence

• In 2026, AI will move beyond experimentation to become a core enabler of finance operations

  80% confidence

• The real unlock is moving finance from reporting what happened to shaping what happens next

  80% confidence

• Genpact's agentic accounts payable solutions are enabling more accurate, autonomous data capture, greater touchless processing, better cash visibility, and stronger supplier relationships, while reducing costs

  80% confidence

• CFOs will remain willing to invest in AI but will require clarity on how it's tied to business outcomes like improved efficiency, productivity, or sustainable growth

  80% confidence

• AI simultaneously helps broaden view to get a better macro picture and can help put a sharper focus on very specific points of interest

  80% confidence

• As cheap capital remains off the table, CFOs will lean on AI to optimize liquidity, manage debt, and prioritize spending with tighter margins

  80% confidence

• The future of finance is not just about crunching numbers, but rather about transforming data into strategic foresight

  80% confidence

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