Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming financial leadership worldwide, and CFOs in the United Kingdom are navigating the unique challenges and opportunities brought by its adoption. Kyriba recently conducted a global CFO survey to understand how senior financial decision-makers view AI's impact on the financial sector, exploring its strategic benefits as well as the hurdles to integration.
In both the global and UK CFO survey results, a key theme that emerges is a trust gap, the divide between the promise of AI-driven financial transformation and the fear of security and privacy risks. Despite this gap, the survey highlights financial leaders also recognise AI’s immense potential to change their roles and drive strategic value.
From caution to confidence, here’s how AI is reshaping the future of finance and evolving the roles of financial leaders in the United Kingdom.
Key UK CFO survey findings
CFOs highlight security concerns with AI adoption in finance: 77% of UK CFOs report major concerns about security and privacy risks in AI, with issues like data leaks, accuracy, and regulatory compliance hindering confidence in adoption.
CFOs plan to embrace AI for strategic initiatives: UK CFOs are leveraging AI solutions for high-level tasks such as investment analysis (52%) and risk management (46%), shifting its role from operational efficiency to empowering high-level decision-making.
AI drives evolution in financial leadership: AI is reshaping CFO roles, with 70% highlighting AI literacy as vital for future financial leaders to remain competitive.
Note: The global survey gathered insights from 1,000 CFOs at companies generating $100M+ in revenue, with 250 respondents from the UK. Many survey questions prompted respondents to select more than one answer. Due to rounding, percentages may not always appear to add up to 100%.
UK AI trends show barriers to AI adoption
UK trends in AI adoption reveal significant concerns about adopting and using AI in finance, with trust issues rooted in security, privacy, and ethical challenges. The distrust in AI solutions is understandable, as there is the potential for AI to misinterpret data or numbers. However, with strong human oversight and the right safeguards, CFOs can use AI-powered tools to improve treasury operations.
When asked to identify the biggest challenge related to adopting AI technologies in their finance departments, it’s clear that building trust in AI systems is a major hurdle to adoption. UK CFOs stress security and ethics as their number one concern (36%), with allocation of resources (16%) and lack of existing tech infrastructure (15%) trailing by a considerable margin.
When considering AI use in their finance operations, almost half (47%) of UK CFOs highlight accuracy as the top concern, followed by security/leaking of confidential information (44%) and regulatory compliance (40%). While the promise of AI is undeniable, these findings demonstrate a critical need for AI systems built with security, transparency, and accountability at their core.
Top UK CFO concerns about AI use in finance
This trust gap extends to broader organisational risks, with 77% of UK financial leaders identifying security and privacy issues as critical external challenges, alongside inflation/cost of living (79%), political instability (76%), and new regulations or compliance laws (74%).
These concerns highlight that CFOs are cautious about AI-specific risks while also viewing security as a broader organisational challenge. The consequences of this distrust are profound. If security and privacy concerns remain unaddressed, organisations may find it challenging to unlock AI's full potential.
Establishing trust through comprehensive security measures is crucial to bridging this gap. By adopting robust security protocols, CFOs can embrace AI with confidence, leveraging it to foster innovation, improve decision-making, and effectively manage the complexities of modern finance. Without these measures, the trust gap will persist, hindering AI adoption.
‘AI-focused skills will empower finance professionals to confidently work with AI technologies and bridge the trust gap by ensuring decisions made by AI systems are transparent and understandable. … By combining human expertise with AI's analytical capabilities, organisations can make more informed decisions.’
-Morné Rossouw, Chief AI Officer, Kyriba
Explore the full interview in our global CFO survey.
Unlocking opportunities through AI-driven financial transformation
While the challenges surrounding AI adoption in finance are significant, its potential to drive financial resilience and innovation is undeniable. Once CFOs can trust AI-powered solutions, they can unlock many opportunities and benefits, such as greater operational efficiency, more accurate financial insights, and extra time to focus on strategic initiatives.
Despite pressing concerns, UK CFOs are embracing AI’s potential:
50% are leveraging AI in the majority of their financial decision-making processes.
95% feel at least somewhat prepared to adopt AI technologies in treasury and finance operations, higher than the US (94%), France (83%), and Japan (81%).
99% prioritise AI integration in their business operations.
For UK businesses, AI adoption is also progressing at a faster pace compared to the global trend. Nearly 45% of UK CFOs intend to implement AI in their treasury and finance operations within the next year, compared to 36% worldwide. These findings indicate that UK CFOs are well-positioned to lead the way–as early adopters of AI will set the benchmark for financial leadership and inspire others to follow their example.
By leveraging the benefits of AI, businesses gain the agility needed to address external factors such as market volatility, inflation, tariff impacts, and geopolitical risks. And similar to their global counterparts, 56% of UK CFOs are already using AI as the top tactic to navigate these external factors.
The UK CFO survey results reveal increasing enthusiasm to leverage AI for improvements and innovations in financial operations. When asked what excites them about the potential of using AI in treasury and finance operations, UK CFOs highlight:
What excites UK CFOs about AI’s potential in finance
As organisations evolve to embrace AI-driven financial transformation, they stand to increasingly benefit from enhanced efficiency, accuracy, and compliance, while driving cost-effectiveness and revenue growth in financial operations.
The UK survey findings send a clear message that CFOs increasingly see the value of leveraging AI to enhance decision-making and drive strategic growth. When asked how their organisations plan to use AI for treasury operations throughout 2025 and into 2026, UK CFOs cite:
How UK CFOs plan to use AI for treasury operations
The survey results indicate a shift in how CFOs perceive an AI-powered approach. Rather than viewing AI solely as a tool for basic automation and operational efficiency, the majority now see it as a driver for high-level strategic transformation. For organisations slow to adopt AI models, there is a clear risk of falling behind.
UK sharpens its AI vision to build a brighter future
The UK has established itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence, leveraging its strong foundation of pioneering research, world-class talent, and a burgeoning ecosystem of startups and established companies. Valued at over £21 billion, the UK’s AI market is expanding rapidly and is expected to grow to over £1 trillion by 2035.
High-profile initiatives like the UK Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan are central to this growth, providing a roadmap to harness AI algorithms for economic prosperity, enhanced public services, and personal opportunities. These efforts are underpinning a thriving AI ecosystem that spans industries, including healthcare, education, and manufacturing, where AI-based tools are driving efficiency and innovation. Strategic investments are key to the UK's AI ambitions, with over £2.3 billion allocated to AI research and development since 2014.
The UK’s participation in initiatives like Horizon Europe and AI Factory Antenna strengthens its global AI leadership by allowing British researchers and organizations to tap into European supercomputing infrastructure and collaborate on cutting-edge projects. However, with political uncertainties and potential regulatory shifts, this evolving relationship remains a critical area for CFOs to monitor to ensure alignment with opportunities and compliance frameworks.
UK CFO survey highlights AI literacy
An important takeaway from the survey is AI’s role in reshaping CFO responsibilities. From automating repetitive tasks to enabling data-driven decision-making, AI-based solutions are redefining what it means to be a CFO.
‘Traditionally focused on compliance and reporting, CFOs are now becoming strategic advisors. AI reduces transactional tasks, enabling us to interpret predictive insights and guide long-term strategies. The role is evolving from number-crunching to connecting data with broader organisational goals.’
-Adam Drew, CFO, Kyriba
Explore the full interview in our global CFO survey.
UK CFOs view AI as the most significant driver of transformation in their roles over the next five years, with 67% expressing this belief. This figure surpasses the emphasis placed on workforce shifts (50%) and C-suite succession (45%).
These results signal a growing recognition among financial leaders that AI-powered outcomes will be a pivotal force in shaping the future of financial leadership, driving innovation and redefining traditional roles to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economic environment.
UK CFOs are also anticipating a future where AI literacy becomes a core skill, with 70% indicating that future financial leaders will need strong competencies in AI and technology to maintain a competitive advantage. This priority outweighs the need to focus on risk management (64%) and understanding the role of a CEO (49%).
These findings show that UK financial leaders are prioritising AI-specific skills as essential for staying competitive, highlighting a shift toward a more tech-savvy and strategically focused approach to financial leadership.
UK trends in AI adoption forecast the future of finance
AI is transforming financial leadership, and UK CFOs are leading the charge by leveraging its potential to enhance decision-making, drive innovation, and redefine their roles. Despite the immense opportunities AI-driven outcomes present, trust gaps related to security, privacy, and accuracy remain a significant challenge. Addressing these issues through ethical practices and robust security measures will be critical to unlocking the full potential of AI in finance.
UK CFOs are setting an example of how to balance this strategic adoption with caution, ensuring AI becomes a driver of growth rather than a point of risk. By prioritising AI literacy and integrating it into their long-term strategies, they are paving the way for a future where financial leadership is both technologically advanced and strategically focused. Organisations that follow suit will be better positioned to thrive in an increasingly complex and fast-changing financial landscape.
Discover how Kyriba is empowering CFOs and financial leaders with AI-driven financial transformation for peak liquidity performance.
