A new report from Tipalti on AI in finance finds that trust and transparency are two key concerns as more companies adopt the emerging technology. The State of AI in Finance: Exploring the AI Trust Gap surveyed 500 companies from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Virtually all respondents, 98%, believe AI implementation is somewhat or extremely important. While 55% are “extremely optimistic” about AI’s potential benefits, 48% are either extremely or somewhat concerned about its risks. The risks mostly revolve around such trust issues as privacy, security, legacy system integration, and explainability.
Those who first overcome those worries realize important strategic advantages. Staff are freed for higher-level tasks and can shape the field’s future. They’re using AI for reporting, fraud detection, and spend analytics, with fewer tapping it for strategic planning or predictive finance. Early positive returns include time savings, quality improvements, and measurable ROI. The report states that commonly cited barriers are easily addressed.
Functionality is more of a fear than being replaced. Proactive companies invest in explainability, auditability, and education.
“The real promise of AI lies in freeing people from the mundane tasks that prevent them from focusing on more strategic priorities,” the report states. “Those finance organizations who crack the code on building trust in AI, and trust in the data and infrastructure behind the AI, will be the ones to shape the future of the finance function based on what finance people don’t have to do anymore.”
In 2026, trust operationalizing is the theme. Look for finance teams to prioritize AI oversight standardization, identify consistent measurement tools, and ensure human expertise remains at the centre of financial activity.
The more companies immerse themselves in AI, the more their concerns abate: 60% of those currently using AI were “extremely optimistic”, while only 37% of those just experimenting with it were.
Around 33% expressed great concern with such AI risks as data privacy, security, and compliance. The theme amongst the top three is ensuring the technology actually works.
“Finance functions aren’t fearful of AI as long as it means they don’t lose human oversight. They want confidence and control,” the report concludes.