CFOs shift from skepticism to aggressive AI investment with agentic AI

Chief financial officers (CFOs) have shifted from a cautious stance to aggressively investing in AI, particularly agentic AI, according to a new study by Salesforce. The research highlights a dramatic change in perspective, with 70% of CFOs reporting a conservative approach in 2020, compared to just 4% today. A third of respondents now adopt an "aggressive" strategy, integrating AI across business functions.

Key Findings:

• ROI Concerns Addressed: Early skepticism about AI's financial returns has diminished, with 61% of CFOs now measuring success through productivity and efficiency gains rather than immediate financial metrics.
• Long-Term Benefits: Respondents noted that AI delivers value over time, unlike traditional technologies focused on short-term returns. One CFO stated, "AI benefits are a mix of long and short term... KPIs are focused based on business outcomes."
• Budget Allocation: CFOs are dedicating 25% of their AI budgets to agentic AI, viewing it as a critical tool for cost reduction and revenue growth. 74% believe it could boost revenue by up to 20%.

Challenges Remain:

• Privacy Risks: 66% of CFOs cited privacy concerns as a top issue, with one noting, "If AI goes wrong, the reputational cost affects ROI in ways regular tools never would."
• Slow ROI: 56% expressed worries about the long time to see returns, particularly in tough economic conditions.

Industry Perspective:

Robin Washington, President and CFO at Salesforce, emphasized the transformative impact: "With AI agents, we're not merely transforming business models; we're fundamentally reshaping the entire scope of the CFO function."

Further Reading:

• How AI agents are being deployed in the real world
• Most agentic AI tools are just ‘repackaged’ RPA solutions and chatbots
• IT leaders don’t trust AI agents yet

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