A comprehensive survey of Chief Financial Officers released in January 2026 revealed that technology investments, particularly in artificial intelligence and automation, have emerged as critical priorities for corporate financial leadership. The findings underscore technology's transformation from back-office function to strategic imperative.
The Journal of Accountancy report highlighted that CFOs now view technology decisions as central to their roles rather than delegating them entirely to Chief Information Officers. This shift reflects growing recognition that technology choices directly impact financial performance, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning.
AI-powered financial planning and analysis tools topped CFO technology priorities for 2026. These systems promise to enhance forecasting accuracy, identify trends in financial data more quickly, and enable more sophisticated scenario modeling. CFOs see AI as potentially transformative for treasury operations, risk management, and strategic decision support.
Automation of routine financial processes ranked as another key focus area. CFOs identified opportunities to deploy robotic process automation for tasks including accounts payable/receivable, reconciliations, and compliance reporting. The automation push aims to reduce costs, minimize errors, and free finance teams to focus on higher-value analytical work.
However, CFOs also expressed concerns about technology implementation risks, including integration challenges with legacy systems, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the need for workforce reskilling as automation displaces traditional finance roles.
The survey results suggest 2026 will see significant technology spending within finance departments, with CFOs taking more active roles in evaluating, selecting, and overseeing deployment of AI and automation solutions that promise to reshape financial operations.