Key Takeaways

  • The growing use of AI tools in investor research is placing a heavier burden on CFOs and their teams。
  • A Gartner survey of 146 CFOs conducted from October to December last year found that 43% of respondents reported spending more time on earnings call preparation; 34% mentioned an increase in unexpected investor questions during earnings calls; and 38% reported more media and social media interactions. The Stamford, Connecticut-based research and advisory firm summarized the December client report in a press release last week.
  • "This stems from an investor community that is more informed because of AI," Dymah Paige, senior research analyst in Gartner's finance practice, said in an interview. "CFOs need to also leverage AI tools themselves to respond in a more targeted and timely manner."

Dive Insight

Rapid advances in AI, along with factors such as ongoing economic volatility, are causing the CFO role to expand at an unprecedented pace, according to Bruno J. Navarro, financial thought leader at Workday, the software giant headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

"The CFO of 2026 and beyond will not just manage finances—they will be strategic navigators, co-piloting the enterprise alongside the CEO," Navarro wrote in an October 17 blog post.

He added that this shift will require a "fundamental change" in how CFOs work, prompting them to focus on priorities such as leveraging AI and data to provide a holistic view of organizational performance.

"This has given rise to financial storytelling, a critical skill for the modern finance leader," he said. "This capability is about translating complex data and financial models into clear, compelling narratives that influence and guide the executive team, board, and investors."

Today, CFOs are being asked to deliver more, and unpredictable markets are intensifying that pressure, Gartner noted in the report shared with CFO Dive. "The increase in investor engagement is just one symptom of this trend," the report said.

A 2024 survey by investor relations advisory firm Corbin Advisors found that 58% of global institutional investors and sell-side analysts are using or evaluating AI toolsfor their investment and research processes.

This has led to higher expectations for "responsive and well-informed management teams," Gartner said in the report.

According to Paige, some of the world's largest companies are already using AI tools in investor relations activities.

In one case study highlighted in another report Gartner shared with CFO Dive on January 26, Dell created a suite of AI capabilities to improve earnings call preparation, including a "sentiment analysis tool" to assess alignment between messaging and business performance.

Dell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.