This AI Appreciation Day, finance professionals are spotlighting the need to move beyond pilot projects and embed AI deep into everyday operations. Although 92% of companies plan to boost AI investments over the next three years, just 1% of executives consider their organisations truly AI mature—able to measure real outcomes and weave AI seamlessly into their workflows.
In a climate marked by inflation, tariff shifts and tax changes, every technology investment must demonstrably improve efficiency, forecasting accuracy and decision-making. To explore how finance teams can bridge the gap from experimentation to impact, leaders at Tipalti, Soldo and Xero provided their insights on driving AI-powered transformation.
Embedding AI to Drive Real Business Value
Rob Israch, President, Tipalti
“AI Appreciation Day is a timely moment to reflect on how AI is transforming the finance function—not with hype, but with real, measurable impact. While many companies were swept up in early enthusiasm around AI, focusing on experimental use cases, today’s finance leaders are shifting towards practical applications that deliver business value and drive efficiency. Integrating AI into core workflows unlocks real-time visibility and predictive insights that drive smarter, faster decisions.
“Yet there’s a gap between adoption and impact. Although 74% of companies have adopted AI, only 4% have advanced capabilities that drive clear business value. The difference lies in how AI is deployed. When AI is embedded—from accounts payable to cash flow forecasting—it can uncover patterns, surface anomalies, and deliver insights that improve productivity and inform confident decision-making.”
Balancing Innovation with Governance
Rory Choudhuri, Product and Solutions Director, Soldo
“AI Appreciation Day highlights not only AI’s potential to drive innovation in financial services, but also the need for thoughtful, responsible adoption. Deployed correctly, AI helps businesses scale financial operations, modernise systems, boost resilience and empower finance teams with deeper advisory capabilities.
“However, the risks are increasing. Generative AI has already been exploited for expense fraud, underlining the need for robust governance and security. Finance must shift from reactive experimentation to a proactive, strategic approach—embracing AI’s advantages while guarding against misuse.”
Turning Insights into Action
James Bergin, Executive General Manager—Technology Research & Advocacy, Xero
“With the rapid pace of AI developments, it’s worth pausing to appreciate how far we’ve come since GPT models first emerged. Capabilities once confined to science fiction are now reinventing our daily work. We’re integrating AI into routine tasks to ease repetitive workloads and enhance productivity and customer relationships.
“The opportunities ahead lie in using AI to generate insights that directly feed into secure, compliant decision loops. As AI capabilities evolve—backed by proper safeguards—businesses that focus on the right areas will unlock opportunities once out of reach.”
Key Takeaways for Finance Teams
- Embed AI into core processes—from procure-to-pay to forecasting—to move from proof-of-concept to proven value.
- Pair innovation with governance—implement security and fraud detection as AI use scales.
- Focus on action—align AI insights with strategic priorities to drive measurable outcomes.
As organisations ramp up AI spending, finance leaders have a vital role in ensuring these investments translate into sustainable growth, operational efficiency and enhanced strategic influence—truly embodying AI maturity this AI Appreciation Day.
