Two thirds of finance teams are using or piloting AI, and growing confidence signals the next phase: embedding AI into core workflows to drive efficiency, improve accuracy, and fight fraud.
A new survey by Yooz, a Cloud-based purchase-to-pay (P2P) automation provider, finds that finance teams are embracing artificial intelligence faster than many industry observers expected. According to the Yooz 2026 AI in Finance Report, 67% of finance professionals are currently using or piloting AI, with growing confidence pointing to the next phase: applying AI within core financial workflows to drive efficiency, improve accuracy, and strengthen fraud prevention.
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That shift matters because finance teams are under pressure to move faster with fewer resources, maintain strong controls, and produce more timely insights. Embedding AI into core processes such as AP automation or fraud prevention is how organizations move from experimentation to measurable impact, strengthening efficiency and oversight while freeing teams to focus on higher-value work.
To understand how finance teams are adopting AI and if confidence is keeping pace, Yooz partnered with the third-party survey platform Pollfish. The Yooz 2026 AI in Finance Report survey was conducted in January 2026, surveying 500 finance professionals across various industries. Respondents provided insights on their self reported perceptions of AI usage and readiness, including adoption stage, use cases, perceived benefits, and barriers.
Key Findings of the Yooz 2026 AI in Finance Report
- AI adoption is mainstream in finance, with clear opportunity for deeper integration. Two thirds of finance teams (67%) say they are using or piloting AI, yet just 10% report it is already embedded in core processes, signaling strong momentum and significant room for expanded integration.
- Confidence is trending upward as familiarity grows. 53% say they are more confident using AI than a year ago, and 40% report no change. This suggests the next opportunity is accelerating confidence through education and deeper integration into daily operations.
- Finance teams are leaning in with disciplined optimism. The most common mindset toward AI is curious but cautious (42%), and a majority say they feel confident using AI in day-to-day work.
- Reporting is a common entry point, with expansion underway. 43% report using AI in reporting or analytics, followed by forecasting and planning (27%).
- Fraud prevention and controls represent a high-impact growth area. Only 19% say they use AI for audit, risk, compliance, or fraud detection and prevention, indicating a significant opportunity to pair productivity gains with stronger protection and oversight.
- AI usage is often broader than it appears. About a third agree their team uses AI more than outsiders realize, suggesting AI is increasingly embedded into everyday processes, even when not explicitly labeled as such.
- Efficiency gains are emerging, with room to standardize impact. 32% cite time savings on manual tasks as the top benefit, while 33% say they have not yet seen clear benefits, pointing to an opportunity to move from isolated wins to repeatable, workflow-level results.
- Readiness and trust are the primary levers for acceleration. Lack of training or education (26%) and lack of trust in AI outputs (25%) rank as the top barriers, outweighing regulation or compliance concerns (12%) and budget constraints (10%).
- Leadership alignment will shape the next phase of adoption. IT is most often named as the driver of AI adoption in finance (24%), compared to 13% who point to the CFO or VP of Finance, and 22% who say no one in particular is driving adoption. As finance leadership becomes more visibly accountable, adoption is likely to become more coordinated and scalable.
AI in finance is evolving from a standalone tool to an applied capability embedded directly into financial workflows. The strongest results come when AI is woven into the workflows finance already runs, so teams get speed and consistency without adding complexity. That is how organizations move from pilots to measurable Lean Financial Operations: fewer manual touchpoints, fewer exceptions, and stronger controls built into the work.
“Finance teams don’t need more hype. They need practical ways to take friction out of the work that slows the business down,” said Yooz CEO Laurent Charpentier. “The path to AI value is the same path to Lean Financial Operations: standardize what matters, automate what is repeatable, and strengthen controls as you scale. The winners will be the organizations that turn experimentation into consistent, secure, end-to-end processes that free finance teams to focus on insight and impact.”
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