UK finance chiefs grow more optimistic about AI adoption

Finance chiefs at many of Britain’s biggest companies are putting more confidence behind artificial intelligence, with Deloitte’s CFO Survey finding that 73% of UK finance leaders were optimistic about AI improving their businesses. The shift matters because chief financial officers decide whether new tools stay in trials or move into budgeting, forecasting, procurement and customer-service systems.

The mood change reflects a boardroom calculation that AI is no longer just a technology line item. CFOs are weighing whether it can raise productivity, improve forecasting accuracy, cut costs and sharpen competitive position at a time when operating expenses remain elevated and growth is sluggish in parts of the economy. Finance leaders are also a bit less worried about geopolitics, suggesting that other boardroom anxieties have eased enough for AI to move higher on the agenda.

That optimism is being driven by practical use cases rather than abstract enthusiasm. Finance teams are looking at AI to generate forecasts, flag anomalies in accounts, support internal audit work and help treasury departments track cash flow and risk exposure. In larger companies, the same tools can be pushed into supply-chain planning, data analytics and customer operations, where even small efficiency gains can add up across thousands of employees.

The change also comes with a harder edge. Companies are adopting AI faster than they are governing it, and that gap has become a central concern for executives and regulators alike. Thomson Reuters’ 2026 Future of Professionals research described AI as a powerful force multiplier, while warning that judgment, relationships and accountability remain human. Reuters has also reported on UK financial stability concerns and AI risks in the financial sector, a reminder that oversight will matter as much as speed.

The political pressure to move faster is rising too. In March 2026, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the UK aimed for “the fastest rate of AI adoption of any country in the G7” and urged employers to upskill staff. That makes the CFO’s office a critical gatekeeper: if finance chiefs believe AI can deliver measurable returns, adoption will spread through the rest of the business.

For now, the question is no longer whether Britain’s corporate leaders should test AI. The test is whether the next round of budgets can turn optimism into lower costs, better forecasts and faster decisions.