Will AI replace Treasurers and Controllers?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

46/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Treasurers and Controllers?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 46% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: prepare or direct preparation of financial statements, business activity reports, financial position forecasts, annual budgets, or reports required by regulatory agencies. The parts that stay human include: Supervise employees performing financial reporting, accounting, billing, collections, payroll, and budgeting duties.; Coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement, or investment activities of all or part of an organization.; Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Prepare or direct preparation of financial statements, business activity reports, financial position forecasts, annual budgets, or reports required by regulatory agencies.AI already used 72%

Analyze the financial details of past, present, and expected operations to identify development opportunities and areas where improvement is needed.AI already used 57%

Coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement, or investment activities of all or part of an organization. 42%

Advise management on short-term and long-term financial objectives, policies, and actions. 42%

Supervise employees performing financial reporting, accounting, billing, collections, payroll, and budgeting duties. 33%

Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met. 33%

+ 16 more tasks (44% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Supervise employees performing financial reporting, accounting, billing, collections, payroll, and budgeting duties.
Coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement, or investment activities of all or part of an organization.
Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met.

AI tools to try

ChatGPT / Claude for drafts and analysisMicrosoft 365 Copilot or Google Gemini for WorkspaceMeeting assistants (e.g. Otter, Fireflies)

Related roles

Accountants and Auditors
Financial Examiners
Chief Executives

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

AI for the admin load

Meeting notes, summaries and follow-ups with AI.
First drafts of reports, plans and emails.
Spreadsheet analysis with AI (formulas, charts, explanations).

Project

Use AI to draft next month's board financial package — MD&A commentary, variance explanations and charts from the trial balance export — and log hours saved versus last month.

Phase 2

Decisions with better input

Use AI to research options and summarise sources, then check them.
Scenario and risk analysis with AI as a sparring partner.
Set team rules for what may and may not go into AI tools.

Project

Build a 13-week cash-flow and three-scenario budget model with AI as sparring partner, verify every driver against source data, and present the risk ranking to management.

Phase 3

Lead the change

Map which team tasks AI can take over or speed up.
Run a small pilot and measure time and quality.
Plan training and new roles for your team.

Project

Map your finance team's 20 recurring close tasks for AI potential, pilot AI-assisted reconciliations for one close cycle, and report time saved and error rates.

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