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Five years from now, traditional corporate finance may be a distant memory — and perhaps a bit lonelier for the workforce.
Global research and advisory firm Gartner urges CFOs to act now to future-proof their teams and workflows. Why? Gartner predicts eight powerful forces — spanning technology, organizational dynamics, and regulatory change — will fundamentally reshape the finance function.
AI is chief among them. By 2030, Gartner projects that one-third of enterprise applications will have embedded agentic AI, with 15% of day-to-day work decisions made autonomously. Human roles will evolve to focus on supervising, collaborating with, and coaching AI counterparts.
Machine decision-making will also accelerate. As early as 2028, Gartner is predicting 70% of finance functions will use AI analysis with connected device data for real-time decision making on operational costs and cash flow management, according to Brian Stickles, senior principal at Gartner Finance. This automation means less time spent on repetitive work for finance employees.
But one prediction—the “lonely enterprise” — warns that these advances may negatively impact the employee experience if CFOs are not proactive. According to Gartner, organizational specialization and remote work technologies will make finance staff more isolated. While self-service tools boost efficiency, they also risk creating silos and disconnecting finance from the broader business context necessary for high-quality advice.
A recent Harvard Business Review article also emphasizes that organizations shouldn’t lose sight of their most important asset — humans — as AI creates more efficient and productive workplaces. Companies must proactively ensure the quality of employee interactions and workplace relationships is preserved, according to the authors.
Gartner points to another looming force: the “finance talent crash.” With the majority of CPAs nearing retirement and fewer replacements entering the field, the traditional finance talent pool is shrinking. Finance will increasingly seek technology-savvy recruits, and will need to reshape roles to blend finance and IT skills.
Other transformative forces include do-it-yourself tech, the end of customization, the complexity of matrixed organizations, and the challenge of keeping up with ever-shifting regulatory compliance.
Adapting to these changes requires a strong focus on change management to ensure employees have a positive experience with AI. For instance, a LinkedIn report released earlier this week found that half of professionals surveyed say learning AI feels like another job, and there has been an 82% increase this year in people posting on LinkedIn about feeling overwhelmed and navigating change. One-third admitted feeling embarrassed about their lack of understanding of AI, and 35% reported feeling nervous discussing AI at work for fear of sounding uninformed, according to the report.
These are exciting times for the evolution of the finance function. Keeping employees engaged and supported on this journey will be critical to long-term success.
Written by Sheryl Estrada for Fortune as “Gartner predicts an AI-fueled ‘lonely enterprise’ for finance workers if CFOs don’t take action” and republished with permission.
