Trust Remains a Major Barrier to AI Adoption in Finance and Accounting
Deloitte's survey reveals trust issues as a key barrier to AI adoption in finance and accounting.
Key Points
- • 80.5% of finance professionals believe AI will become standard in five years.
- • Only 13.5% currently use AI agents in finance and accounting tasks.
- • 21.3% cite trust as the biggest barrier to AI adoption.
- • 59.7% prefer AI to operate within defined frameworks rather than autonomously.
A recent survey from the Deloitte Center for Controllership™ highlights trust issues as the primary obstacle to the adoption of agentic AI technologies in finance and accounting. Despite optimistic views on AI’s transformative potential, with over 80% of respondents believing AI will become standard in the industry within the next five years, only 13.5% of organizations report currently using AI agents for their financial and accounting needs.
The survey indicates that increased efficiency is viewed as the most significant benefit of AI, cited by 42.7% of respondents. This efficiency perspective is amplified among organizations already utilizing AI, where 56.1% recognize its advantages. However, the low current adoption rates raise questions about the trustworthiness of AI technologies. Notably, 21.3% of survey participants identified trust in AI as the main barrier to adoption, with others pointing to challenges like integration and the availability of skilled personnel.
Moreover, the survey reveals a preference among finance professionals for AI to operate within predefined frameworks, with 59.7% opposing autonomous decision-making by AI agents. Court Watson from Deloitte underscored the importance of establishing trust to facilitate successful AI integration, suggesting that clear policies and controls are essential during the AI lifecycle. Deloitte's Trustworthy AI™ framework aims to foster user confidence through principles such as transparency and accountability.
The online poll engaged over 3,300 finance and accounting professionals during a recent Deloitte webcast on AI's implications for the industry.