Business 4 min read By Arthur Ellington
Companiile vor să accelereze AI în finanțe, dar datele slabe le încetinesc
A new EY survey of 1,600 CFOs and finance-tax leaders across 30 jurisdictions finds firms eager to expand artificial intelligence in their finance and tax departments, yet most say poor data is holding them back.
Companies are eager to speed up the use of artificial intelligence in their finance and tax departments, but a lack of prepared data is slowing those plans, according to a new study by EY. The Tax and Finance Operations Survey 2026 gathered the views of 1,600 chief financial officers and finance-tax leaders across 30 jurisdictions. Some 64 percent of them identified lack of data as the main obstacle to using AI, making it the single most cited barrier in the study.
The appetite for the technology is clear. Some 83 percent of respondents see an AI-supported workforce as important to their future, and 81 percent plan to recruit staff with AI skills. Most firms do not expect AI to replace their employees. Instead, 60 percent rank strategic thinking and problem-solving among the skills they will need most, suggesting that human judgement is expected to remain central even as automation expands.
The gap between ambition and readiness is wide. Only 16 percent of respondents rate their tax function as very effective at handling data. Among firms that report data problems, 61 percent point to systems that do not communicate with one another, and 52 percent cite weak data quality as a core issue. These constraints matter as tax authorities and regulators push for faster reporting: 64 percent of leaders say they are not fully ready for real-time tax compliance, a requirement that would leave little room for delayed or fragmented information.
Adoption remains at an early stage for most organisations. About 71 percent describe their AI use as early or exploratory, meaning many firms are still testing tools rather than embedding them in daily operations. Expectations for more advanced tools are rising, however. Some 77 percent expect autonomous AI agents, software capable of carrying out tasks with limited human direction, to benefit tax departments. That figure has climbed sharply from 21 percent a year earlier, a notable jump in optimism about this next generation of software.
The study also found that companies are trying to adapt to a less predictable global environment, with 79 percent saying they are adjusting operations to geopolitical shifts. Finance and tax teams are therefore being asked to manage not only new technology but also changing trade conditions, regulatory demands and cross-border reporting obligations at the same time.
Andra Cașu of EY Romania argues that integrating AI is becoming essential for businesses going forward. Her view reflects the study's central conclusion: firms that treat AI as a stand-alone purchase are unlikely to see the full benefit. The report suggests the organisations best placed to gain from the technology will be those that combine technology, human resources and external expertise, and that first put their data systems in order. Without that groundwork, the enthusiasm recorded in the survey may struggle to translate into measurable results in finance and tax operations.
Source: economedia.ro
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