Finance leaders are feeling more confident about the role artificial intelligence will play in their work, even though the number of teams actually using the technology has barely changed over the past year.
New data from Gartner’s 2025 AI in Finance Survey shows AI adoption in finance is holding steady, while optimism about its long-term value continues to grow across the finance function.
Gartner found that 59% of CFOs and senior finance leaders say their teams use AI in 2025. That figure is almost identical to last year’s 58% adoption rate. This time around, the survey gathered responses from 183 finance leaders between May and June of this year.
This leveling off follows a period of rapid acceleration. According to Gartner, in 2023, only 37% of finance organizations used AI. Adoption more than doubled in 2024 and brought new expectations that the upward trajectory would continue at the same pace. The latest data shows that adoption has entered a slower phase as finance leaders work through the practical challenges of implementation, integration and scaling.
Even with the slowdown, confidence in AI is rising. Gartner reports that more than two-thirds (67%) of finance leaders feel more optimistic about AI in 2025 than they did in 2024. This trend appears across companies at all levels of AI maturity, although, without surprise, the strongest optimism comes from teams that have already pushed through early learning stages. Among organizations further along in their adoption journey, almost a quarter (23%) say they feel “much more optimistic” about AI this year. Seven percent of early-stage adopters say the same.
Marco Steecker, senior director of research in Gartner’s finance practice, noted in the report that this split reflects a common pattern his team is seeing. As teams gain hands-on experience with AI, Gartner researchers noted the benefits become clearer and the technology feels more reliable. During early pilots, they say results can be inconsistent and the impact may be limited. Once production use begins, their results show gains tend to increase more quickly.
Steecker said this shows how important it is for finance leaders to move from experimentation to real operational use. However, as noted by academics researching corporate use of AI, it’s critical that CFOs approach this impact opportunity with a sense of skepticism and awareness of potential overreliance.
The survey also identifies the most common AI use cases inside finance teams today. Knowledge management leads the list at 49% adoption, and accounts payable process automation follows at 37%. Error and anomaly detection ranks third at 34%.
There are still plenty of financial and non-financial barriers to slow adoption. Finance leaders cited limited data literacy, technical skill shortages and ongoing issues with data quality and availability. Gartner found that almost a fifth (16%) of respondents have no AI implementation plans for next year. Another quarter (25%) remains unsure how to move from planning to piloting.
Based on Gartner data and outside research, finance leaders who want to see stronger results in their organization’s technology approach need to develop a plan with their CIO. That relationship is increasingly critical.
Specifically, the Gartner report notes that the biggest gains come only after AI becomes part of daily operations. As CFOs look to 2026, many will face a familiar test: Turning rising optimism into measurable performance without losing sight of the risks that come with strategically rapid adoption.
