To Embrace AI in Finance, CFOs Must Move Beyond Their Comfort Zone

Technology is poised to change the world of finance. And CFOs have a major role to play in spearheading the shift toward a future powered by artificial intelligence and generative AI. Investing in technology is only one part of the finance transformation process—business leaders must also prepare their teams by establishing trust in AI and leveling up their skills to take full advantage.

“There’s this potential distrust in what’s coming into AI and what’s ultimately coming out,” Workday CFO Zane Rowe said in a recent podcast with Eric Kutcher, McKinsey & Company senior partner and chair, North America. “It’s a responsibility for companies, and I think CFOs have to lead that charge.”

Citing the Workday 2024 global study “Closing the AI Trust Gap” released earlier this year, Rowe noted a “disconnect” between how business leaders and the broader workforce view the growing adoption of AI. The survey found that 62% of C-suite leaders or their direct reports welcome AI, and 52% of employees view the technology favorably.

Echoing his earlier comments about closing the AI trust gap, Rowe said that part of those efforts can involve helping finance teams become more comfortable with the technology.

Within his own finance organization, Rowe said that employees partner directly with the Workday technology group to broaden their perspectives and refine business processes using AI.

“It’s amazing what a small team can do as far as rethinking a process and adding AI and some of those capabilities,” Rowe said. “And you should see the excitement on their faces.”