Key Findings

  • According to Gartner's 2026Finance Technology Bullseye report, by 2029, CFOs who strategically deploy artificial intelligence alongside broader finance technology investments could achieve an additional 10 percentage points of profit growth.
  • However, Gartner also warns that CFOs are navigating a complex and rapidly evolving finance technology ecosystem, where fragmentation and "intense AI vendor hype" could lead to costly decision errors and budget waste.
  • "Three-quarters of CFOs plan to increase technology budgets in 2026increase technology budgets, with nearly half planning increases of 10% or more, as AI reshapes core finance, process automation, and analytics," said Mike Helsel, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Finance practice, in a press release. "However, CFOs cannot capture profit growth from AI by chasing isolated pilots: the biggest returns will come from managing finance technology as a portfolio—strengthening proven applications, accelerating high-value automation, and scaling AI deployment in areas where governance and integration are maturing."

Deep Insights

Gartner notes that finance teams are at a "watershed moment," with CFOs facing growing pressure to transform traditional workflows while taking on a more strategic role in shaping enterprise technology roadmaps.

While AI remains a central focus, CFOs are also managing a broader portfolio of tools with embedded AI capabilities, including cloud ERP, process automation, advanced analytics, and key non-financial systems. The research examined more than 60 technologies, stating that these tools are "collectively reshaping the finance function."

To better understand finance teams' technology portfolios and investment strategies, Gartner surveyed 314 organizations globally between September and October 2025.

Cloud ERP remains "the backbone of scalable, compliant finance operations," with adoption up 7% year-over-year, making it the highest-value technology in the Bullseye report and a top area for future investment. Gartner says these systems are increasingly seen as the operational foundation and enablers of embedded AI capabilities, with the potential to unlock new levels of insight in finance.

Generative AI shows the highest future investment interest among finance leaders, with rapid adoption, though most deployments remain in pilot stages.

AI agents and embedded AI also show high investment intent, "despite moderate current value and early adoption stages, signaling a strategic bet on autonomous finance and faster decision cycles," Gartner says.

Blockchain saw the largest positive shift in future investment rankings, reflecting growing interest in audit trails and compliance. Gartner found that value and investment in extended planning and analytics technologies and accounting engines are declining as organizations shift toward integrated applications.

Meanwhile, process mining and intelligent document processing are gaining momentum as enablers of scalable automation and optimization. Spreadsheets remain the most widely adopted technology, "highlighting a persistent dependency in the modernization journey," the research notes.

In Gartner's forward-looking predictions, by 2028, finance organizations using cloud ERP systems with embedded AI assistants will achieve a 30% faster financial close; by 2029, 40% of financial planning and analysis teams in large enterprises are expected to use AI-driven simulation tools to replace bottom-up manual planning, up from just 5% today.

"To capture the profit growth upside, CFOs need to align AI and technology investments with business outcomes, underpinned by strong governance, explainability, and data readiness," Helsel said.