34% of CFOs Say Productivity Is the Top Reason for AI Adoption

The real story in artificial intelligence is not adoption, but how unevenly companies are learning to live with it.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “No Roadmap, No Problem: How Enterprises Are Reinventing the AI Workforce, ” found that large firms in the United States have mostly moved past experimentation and are embedding AI into day-to-day operations. Yet the path forward is far from standardized.

Based on a survey of chief financial officers at companies generating at least $1 billion in annual revenue, the study showed that while most executives see AI as essential to future performance, their strategies vary by industry, and their confidence in execution remains mixed.

Several key data points stand out:

Increasing output is the top reason for adopting AI, according to 34% of CFOs, while 24% focus on staying competitive, and 19% prioritize better decision-making through data.

Half of CFOs expect AI to create new roles requiring new skills, even as 47% anticipate headcount reductions.

Overall, 60% of CFOs said their firms are at least somewhat prepared for AI-driven workforce changes, but only 12% said they consider themselves very prepared.

In goods-producing industries, nearly half of CFOs pointed to productivity gains as the primary driver of AI investment. Service firms, by contrast, were more focused on improving decision-making, reflecting their reliance on human judgment and customer interaction. Technology firms, meanwhile, placed a premium on maintaining a competitive edge, underscoring the speed at which innovation cycles are accelerating.

There is no single playbook for integrating AI into the workforce. Companies are tailoring their approaches based on how value is created in their sectors. Some are investing in new talent with AI expertise. Others are redesigning workflows to blend human and machine capabilities. Many are doing both.

At the same time, the report pointed to a growing consensus about AI’s long-term impact. Rather than simply eliminating jobs, AI is expected to reshape them. Half of CFOs said they believe new roles will emerge that require different skills, suggesting a workforce that becomes more specialized over time. The expectation hinges on a reallocation of work toward higher-value tasks.

Still, the transition is not frictionless. Executives cited operational complexity as a leading concern, along with challenges tied to managing change. Skill gaps remained a persistent issue, particularly in service sectors where AI adoption can be harder to standardize. Employee resistance and compliance risks also factored into planning, especially in industries with heavy regulatory oversight.

Despite these hurdles, the tone of the findings was measured rather than alarmist. Most CFOs described AI’s impact as balanced, combining benefits with disruption. Only a small share viewed the overall effect as negative. That suggests a growing recognition that while implementation may be difficult, the direction of travel is clear.

The absence of a universal roadmap may be part of the advantage. Companies that adapt AI to their specific operating models rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all approach could be better positioned to capture long-term gains.

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