Jim Caci is the CFO of AvePoint, a Jersey City, New Jersey-based software provider specializing in data management. Views are the author’s own.
CFOs play a critical role in driving artificial intelligence investment, adoption and safety, not only within the finance department but across the entire organization.
AI implementation continues to pose a great challenge to CFOs and security teams, with 45% of organizations encountering unintended data exposure when implementing AI. On top of that, employees are likely experimenting with AI independently, without the proper guardrails for how to leverage the technology safely, unknowingly putting sensitive data at risk.
As cross-functional drivers of risk management, compliance, budget allocation, operational efficiency and strategic planning when it comes to new tech investments, CFOs now have a responsibility to ensure that AI is adopted and used safely.
With this in mind, CFOs should prioritize building a detailed roadmap for effective AI implementation, which includes the following considerations:
1. Balance adoption with risk. In close collaboration with the IT and security teams, CFOs should start by exploring these questions:
Which applications are safe for the entire organization to use?
Which open-source tools pose too much risk of data exposure?
Where exactly do employees need AI tools in their workflows?
The finance team, leading tech investment decisions in close collaboration with IT, should begin by seeing how other organizations in their industry are leveraging AI tools, and whether they’ve created their own specialized solutions to drive productivity.
With these considerations top of mind, the C-suite will be better equipped to decide which types of AI are appropriate for various use cases, depending on risk tolerance and evaluation. Plus, by working cross-functionally with IT and cybersecurity teams on this initiative, CFOs can build a stronger roadmap for AI use.
2. Ensure proper data governance policies. When surveyed about how data is managed during AI implementation, 88% of organizations report they have an information management strategy in place, but 44% lack basic measures such as archiving and retention policies and lifecycle management solutions. Before even considering AI, teams must ensure proper data governance and management policies are in place. CFOs should work collaboratively with IT to prioritize robust data and information lifecycle management systems to enhance the data their AI systems will be using and built on. Automated policies will also confirm that employees have access to only relevant information.
3. Encourage safe experimentation. Prior to company-wide adoption, CFOs across top organizations are now encouraging select groups of employees to test and experiment with AI tools with the proper guidance. Inviting teams to participate as early adopters in AI pilots or test groups can give CFOs and the C-suite a strong understanding of their organization’s individual tech needs to inform future buying decisions.
Generative AI adoption is heating up quickly across every sector, jumping from 50% of organizations utilizing the technology in 2023 to 72% in 2024. This is hardly surprising, as AI technology continues to evolve too, growing exponentially in its ability to process large amounts of data, and in turn, transform business insights.
AI is now widely viewed as the key to powering growth in 2025. The office of the CFO plays a vital role in this process, serving as an organization’s control room for risk management, budget, operations, strategy and much more.
That’s why every CFO today — from Fortune 500 companies to startups — should immediately prioritize AI implementation roadmaps to ensure secure and efficient use that will drive the bottom line.