KPMG Survey: Finance Leaders Race to Scale AI, Igniting a Critical Need for Specialized Talent and Trust

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2026) - Two years ago, finance leaders were focused on piloting AI. Today, they are in a full-scale race to deploy and orchestrate complex AI systems across the enterprise, marking a strategic shift that is reshaping the profession.

According to a new report released today by KPMG LLP, the US audit, tax, and advisory firm, in the next 18 months, 93% of US companies will be deploying or scaling AI in their finance functions, with half already planning to orchestrate or develop multi-agent AI systems across their workflows.

"The shift from adoption to orchestration proves that AI is no longer a future concept, but an operational reality," said Christian Peo, KPMG US Vice Chair – Audit and Assurance. "This moves the goalposts for our profession. To maintain trust in the capital markets, the auditor of the future will have to both audit financial statements and provide assurance over the AI systems that help produce them."

The report, AI in Finance: The Decision Advantage, which resulted from a global survey of 1,013 senior finance leaders across 20 countries and 13 sectors, including 163 US finance leaders, builds on research conducted in 2024, which found that almost one-third of companies were planning to increase AI budgets or shift funds from other activities to drive AI adoption.

The human element is key to unlocking value

The survey finds that for a majority of companies, AI initiatives are already paying off, with nearly three-quarters reporting that the ROI is meeting (46%) or exceeding (28%) their expectations. Among those unsatisfied with ROI, the top barrier is slow organizational adoption and change management, proof that AI success depends as much on managing people as it does on managing technology.

This challenge is reflected in workforce training. For leaders trying to institute a better understanding of AI in day-to-day work, the main obstacles are a lack of clear, role-specific use cases (64%) and hands-on practice environments (61%). This highlights that a significant and targeted investment in practical, hands-on training is key to enabling a successful AI transformation.

"The ultimate goal is not just automation, it's elevation," said Thomas Mackenzie, KPMG US and Global Audit Chief Digital Officer. "Leaders are harnessing sophisticated AI to create a finance function that is predictive instead of reactive. This is the core of our 'human-led, agent-operated' vision, where technology provides deep insights, freeing professionals to apply critical judgment and become true strategic partners to the business."

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