How Next Gen Finance Leaders Are Embracing AI

Over the last couple of years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the buzzy topic within business. It has led to record levels of investment in the technology sector and is set to introduce unparalleled levels of automation in companies.

In 2025, we’ve seen a proliferation of new business AI tools, including note-taking software, calendar management, increased use of standalone LLMs (ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini), and AI functionality baked directly into accounting and finance software. 

While headlines often focus on job losses and fears that humans will be replaced by AI, forward-thinking finance leaders can use these technologies to future-proof their careers and develop a modern finance function. Here’s some advice—straight from the experts.

Juniors Who Can Master the Use of AI Will Be in High Demand

It’s widely assumed that efficiencies from AI will result in fewer finance hires for individuals starting out at the beginning of their careers. However, Tasnim Mustafa, Director and Owner of Barnes & Scott, thinks that new starters who can show the propensity to tinker with AI will be in a strong position to receive job offers and develop their careers.

Firms will increasingly look to do more with less. I think we’ll see a dip in hiring as firms aim to harness AI’s productivity gains. There will likely be fewer opportunities for juniors, but those who can master AI and manage upwards will be in high demand.

Tasnim Mustafa, Director and Owner of Barnes & Scott

Generative AI Will Empower Accountants to Extract Extra Value from Tools

Dave Sellick, Founder and Portfolio Head of Finance at Sidgrove, thinks that generative AI chat interfaces are finally making automation tools accessible to accountants. Sellick believes this will make it impossible for accountants to ignore the manual workarounds for processes that have been ripe for overhaul for years.

AI is massively reducing friction for us to adopt technology we already had access to. Automation tools and accessible code, like Google App Scripts and open APIs, have been around for years, but have had steep learning curves. Now, through tapping into GenAI as a co-pilot with natural language, accountants have the ability to finally extract value from these tools.

Dave Sellick, Founder and Portfolio Head of Finance, Sidgrove

Professional Judgement Will Still Be Needed

While AI can automate process-led accounting tasks and complete them faster than humans, most applications won’t be sophisticated enough to understand context and provide meaningful business insight. Alongside leveraging AI’s processing productivity benefits, accountants will be well-positioned to continue adding value to their companies by understanding their nuances and the broader environment in which they operate. It will be integral for finance professionals not to rely solely on AI-driven interpretations and to apply their own independent scrutiny.

You can use software to capture data and provide some generic ‘statistician style’ interpretation of that data. However, unless you are building bespoke in-house AI agents that know all the context of your business, including its history and risk approach to decision making and external opportunities, then it can’t provide the insights that an in-house FP&A-focused finance team can.

Sophie Conaghan, Finance Lead at CharlieHR and Founder, Finance for Founders

Finance Leaders Can Use Additional Resources to Skill Up

Imran Chagpar, Fractional CFO at Onside Accounting and Scale Now, thinks that AI-powered automation will put finance leaders in a strong position to learn and develop new skills, making them indispensable. Chagpar sums this up as individuals contributing more to the commercial and strategic elements of finance.

AI will free up accountants from repetitive tasks and allow them to focus on where they can add value to the business and how they can support them to grow. CFOs need to use this extra bandwidth for the likes of understanding their company’s product alongside how it can be sold.

Imran Chagpar, Fractional CFO, Onside Accounting and Scale Now

Accountants Can Build More Advanced Workflows with Ease

Robert Collings, Co-Founder at Flexal, an AI native accounting practice, believes that AI-powered no-code platforms are allowing accountants to develop their own, more advanced workflows to meet the needs of their clients without needing to have the technical ability to code.

AI is allowing accountants to build custom workflows that were previously only possible for those who had coding ability. This will result in accountants being able to improve their service offering in a lean way, while ultimately providing a better, more integrated client experience and increasing the lifetime value of clients.

Robert Collings, Co-Founder, Flexal

Unprecedented Visibility on Cash Flow and Performance 

Bobby Lane, CFO and CEO of Factotum, a multi-disciplinary outsourcing practice, has been in the industry long enough to see many technological changes and thinks concerns about the rise of AI are unfounded.

Across my career, every major shift [from] the introduction of spreadsheets to cloud accounting has spread fears that accountants would be replaced. Each time, the profession has evolved. AI is simply the next evolution. Accountants will be able to adapt to AI-driven changes by giving [them] unprecedented visibility over cash flow and performance, which will allow them to anticipate potential cash shortfalls, refine working capital strategies, and arrange funding where necessary.

Bobby Lane, CFO and CEO, Factotum

Want more from our Next Gen Finance Leaders on what to expect in 2026? Check out their insights in our previous roundup here.