August 11, 2025
5 min read
Ross Kelly
Chief financial officers (CFOs) are now betting big on AI, despite initially taking a cautious approach during the early days of the generative AI boom. A new study from Salesforce reveals CFOs have “fundamentally shifted their approach” to AI, now viewing it as a business-critical technology and a key revenue driver.
Nearly three-quarters (70%) of CFOs reported having a “conservative” AI strategy in 2020. However, with the emergence of generative and agentic AI tools, only 4% maintain a cautious approach today. Conversely, a third of respondents have adopted an “aggressive approach,” ramping up AI adoption and integration across various business functions.
A key driver behind this change is positive returns on investment (ROI). Throughout 2023 and 2024, concerns about whether AI would deliver value were common. Salesforce research from last year showed 65% of CFOs faced significant pressure to demonstrate ROI on technology investments. The arrival of AI agents has shifted this perspective.
Nearly two-thirds (61%) of CFOs said AI agents have changed how they evaluate ROI, now measuring success based on productivity and efficiency rather than purely financial returns. One respondent noted that measuring ROI on "older technology often depends on immediate, measurable results," but with agentic AI, returns "accrue over the long term." Another added, "Traditional technology investments mainly focus on immediate financial returns that can be easily visible, but AI benefits are a mix of long and short term duration. KPIs are focused based on business outcomes."
Robin Washington, president and chief operational and financial officer at Salesforce, commented that AI has prompted a “decisive and strategic shift for CFOs.” She said, "With AI agents, we're not merely transforming business models; we're fundamentally reshaping the entire scope of the CFO function. This demands a new mindset as we expand beyond financial stewards to also become architects of agentic enterprise value."
Source attribution: Originally published at IT Pro on Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT.
What Are CFOs Excited About?
CFOs now see AI agents as key revenue drivers and tools to streamline operations. On average, financial officers dedicate 25% of their total AI budgets to agents, highlighting the strong appetite for this technology. The rationale behind this investment is the expectation of long-term savings and broader revenue gains. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of CFOs believe AI agents will cut costs and increase revenue by up to 20%. However, concerns remain. Privacy risks associated with AI technology were cited by 66% of respondents as a leading issue. One respondent explained, "Other technology does not typically involve the ethical risks AI does. If AI goes wrong, the reputational cost affects ROI in ways regular tools never would." Additionally, with challenging macroeconomic conditions, the long time to ROI was a concern for 56% of CFOs. Despite these worries, 61% said AI agents, or “digital labor” as Salesforce terms it, will be crucial for navigating difficult economic conditions and maintaining competitiveness.Source attribution: Originally published at IT Pro on Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT.