Executives with reservations towards AI investment have shifted their perspectives following the emergence of intelligent agents
In the ever-evolving business landscape, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are making a significant shift in their approach towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agentic AI, moving from cautious adopters to strategic investors. This shift is driven by the recognition of AI agents as autonomous digital labor performing tasks, representing about 25% of total AI budgets.
Key trends in this transformation include:
Investment Corporate spending on AI is on the rise, with more firms investing $10 million or more annually in AI, fuelled by agentic AI tools. Around 34% of organizations have already implemented agentic AI, and 35% expect to spend $10 million+ next year.
Revenue generation and value Approximately 74% of CFOs believe that AI agents will directly drive revenue, anticipating an increase of up to 20%. The broader economic impact of agentic AI could reach $450 billion in value by 2028, as AI improves revenue, productivity, decision-making, and operational efficiency.
Changing CFO role and mindset CFOs are becoming more embedded in operational decision-making, aligning financial planning closely with AI-driven insights. They increasingly act as architects of “agentic enterprise value,” collaborating across functions to leverage AI for strategic growth and efficiency.
Concerns and barriers Despite enthusiasm, 87% of senior leaders acknowledge barriers to agentic AI adoption, primarily data privacy issues and regulatory uncertainty. Integrating AI meaningfully while addressing these concerns remains a challenge.
Practical impact in finance AI is already enhancing forecasting precision, improving data transparency, and automating repetitive tasks, allowing CFOs to focus on strategic initiatives and increase agility.
However, concerns persist. Most agentic AI tools are reportedly just "repackaged" RPA solutions and chatbots. IT leaders have expressed doubts about the trustworthiness of AI agents, and privacy risks associated with AI agents are a leading concern, cited by 66% of respondents. Enterprises facing challenging macroeconomic conditions consider the long time to ROI as a notable worry, cited by 56% of respondents. One respondent stated that if AI goes wrong, the reputational cost affects ROI in ways regular tools never would.
The use of AI agents is reshaping the entire scope of the CFO function, according to Washington. In 2020, nearly three-quarters of CFOs had a conservative AI strategy, but this has decreased to 4% as of the current time due to the emergence of generative and agentic AI tools. The introduction of AI has prompted a decisive and strategic shift for CFOs, as stated by Robin Washington, president and chief operational and financial officer at Salesforce.
In conclusion, CFOs in 2025 are aggressively investing in agentic AI as a strategic driver of revenue and operational transformation, evolving their traditional finance roles into broader business leadership positions, while remaining mindful of privacy and regulatory challenges. The deployment of AI agents in the real world is a topic of interest, and the potential benefits and challenges will continue to shape the future of business strategy.
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- The strategic investment in agentic AI by CFOs is not only driven by expectations of revenue generation and value but also by the recognition of its potential to reshape the entire scope of the CFO function, as these AI agents perform tasks previously managed by humans.
- As cybersecurity becomes increasingly important in the use of AI agents, it's crucial for businesses to address concerns about the trustworthiness, privacy risks, and regulatory uncertainty associated with these technologies, which are key barriers to their adoption in the ever-evolving business landscape.
