Trust has emerged as the primary barrier to adopting agentic AI in finance and accounting, despite the technology's promising potential. According to a recent Deloitte Center for Controllership poll, over 80% of finance and accounting professionals believe AI-powered tools will become standard in the profession within the next five years. However, only 13.5% of respondents' organizations currently use agentic AI, citing trust issues as a major concern.
The leading barrier to adoption is trust in AI's underlying data and programming, with 21.3% of respondents expressing concerns. Many worry about AI's ability to make decisions without human oversight, with 59.7% of respondents trusting AI agents only within defined frameworks. Other significant challenges include integrating AI into existing systems and a lack of skilled personnel to operate AI agents.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of agentic AI are clear. Over 42.7% of respondents agree that AI agents can enhance productivity in finance and accounting processes, with stronger convictions among those already using agentic AI. Other benefits include improved data analysis and insights, as well as accuracy and error reduction.
To overcome trust barriers, companies are prioritizing transparency, ethical safeguards, and human oversight. Implementing robust governance, ensuring explainability, and building trust are essential steps towards widespread adoption. By defining ethics and operational standards, promoting AI literacy, and encouraging responsible innovation with clear accountability, companies can work towards harnessing the full potential of agentic AI in finance and accounting.
