While the role of technology within the finance function continues to evolve, its organization-wide influence in 2025, regardless of industry or company size, is likely to grow. As all areas of companies demand access to data, finance teams will face key decisions about purchasing software products or, in larger organizations, creating in-house tools to fine-tune data quality and improve accessibility.
With the reasoning and analytical capabilities of generative AI continuing to expand, CFOs should closely monitor developments in this area in 2025, along with the following technology trends. Here are four technology trends CFOs should track in 2025.
1. Being a “fast follower”
Risk-cognizant finance leaders must ensure their teams are preparing datasets, adhering to AI guidelines and becoming “fast followers,” according to Deloitte’s global and U.S. CFO program leader Steve Gallucci.
“Most CFOs we speak to in a broad sense will individually say they are interested in overlaying generative AI or integrating it into finance [in the future], but they want to move slowly,” Gallucci said. “They want to be a fast follower, see specific use cases and have a full understanding of how the technology works.”
Gallucci noted that CFOs have seen pushback from their boards, which remain concerned about AI’s hallucination tendencies and accuracy. As a result, he believes generative AI’s initial impacts will likely occur outside the finance function first.
“I think companies may broaden their aperture [for generative AI] beyond just finance and build it into the front end of the commercial aspects of their business first,” Gallucci said. “There’s a real sentiment that finance leaders want to see better versions of generative AI in the future because enterprise platform companies are interested in embedding these tools [elsewhere].”
2. The emergence of agentic AI
As OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar detailed at the World Economic Forum, agentic AI will likely yield commercial benefits before they hit the finance function. However, understanding the value of tools with the ability to reason independently, collect and analyze company-wide data and factor in market trends and macroeconomic indicators is a must this year for finance chiefs, according to Fresh FP&A’s CEO and fractional CFO Chris Ortega.
“Forget simple automation — agentic AI is the next big wave for CFOs,” Ortega said. “While 2024 saw generative AI streamline tasks like AR/AP, agentic AI goes further. Imagine AI that not only analyzes data but also independently identifies the right questions to ask. This is next-level finance, and CFOs need to be ready to go from ‘GenAI’ to ‘AgentAI.’”
However, CFOs should consider the willingness of those selling these products to use them. For example, Salesforce ended 2024 by announcing plans to ironically hire thousands of salespeople to sell AgentForce, an AI chatbot specializing in sales that could theoretically replace a tech salesperson.
3. Cybersecurity’s collaboration requirement
A large portion of the stories reported by CFO.com on cybersecurity in 2024 related to AI’s role in fraud. While off-the-shelf cybersecurity solutions provide temporary fixes, AI experts emphasize the need for companywide collaboration to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
“What’s funny is, years ago I took a course in cybersecurity and could see the writing on the wall,” said Glenn Hopper, head of AI research at Eventus. “I did it not to become an expert, but so I could talk about this stuff.”
Hopper identified two major focuses for CFOs approaching cybersecurity in 2025: data security and fraud.
“There are great learning algorithms that can detect fraud, but preventing issues like AI phishing scams is a constant battle,” Hopper said.
The challenge has led some CFOs to delegate the issue entirely. “A lot of CFOs I talk to say this whole cybersecurity and fraud issue makes them want to throw their hands up and put the issue in a box because it’s a Wild West out there,” he said. “But that’s the wrong approach. You have to collaborate and rely on your fellow leaders to address this at a cultural level. No leader, especially a CFO, can solve cybersecurity alone.”
4. The reemergence of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
With the new administration launching a crypto taskforce, activity around the technology dubbed “Web 3” in 2021 has resumed. SaaS companies are branding products with blockchain, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are gaining legitimacy as payment methods, and other developments are creating potential upsides for businesses and CFOs. Finance leaders should remain informed about the industry’s resurgence and its possible implications for their organizations.
