On AI Appreciation Day, it’s worth asking: are we celebrating the real value of artificial intelligence-or still stuck debating its extremes? Despite the headlines, the real story about artificial intelligence (AI) in business isn’t about machines replacing humans. It’s about freeing people up to do what they were hired to do in the first place-think strategically, make decisions, and drive business growth. Nowhere is this shift more urgently felt than in finance and procurement.
Across industries, finance teams are embracing AI tools not because they’re trendy, but because the stakes are too high not to. As manual processes pile up and decision-making becomes more complex, AI is increasingly the tool that allows businesses to keep up-and even get ahead.
“Everyone’s talking about AI like it’s either our savior or our replacement, but that misses what’s actually happening,” says Russell Lester, President and CFO at Tropic, a leading spend management platform. “We’re at a tipping point where 86% of finance teams plan to scale AI by 2026, yet half of us are still figuring out the basics. The real story isn’t about robots taking jobs. It’s about AI handling the stuff that bogs us down so we can focus on decisions that actually move the business. When AI catches a $30,000 invoice error or helps you manage tail spend without burning your weekend, it’s hard to ignore the benefits it’s bringing. This is undeniable operational efficiency that lets finance leaders reallocate budgets toward strategic work instead of administrative cleanup.
The question isn’t whether to adopt AI anymore. It’s how fast we can evolve our skills to match the complexity that’s only getting worse. Finance teams are already seeing real velocity in forecasting and reconciliation, but most are still learning what to do with that new speed. The companies that get this right won’t just automate procurement or finance tasks. They’ll completely rethink how these functions operate. AI isn’t replacing our judgment. It’s finally giving us the bandwidth to use it where it matters most, turning finance from a reactive cost center into the strategic business partner we’ve always wanted to be.”
Yet even with the promise of efficiency and better decision-making, many companies are still in AI limbo-piloting tools without seeing much payoff. According to Justin Etkin, COO and Co-founder at Tropic, the reason is simple: too many teams are focusing on the tech instead of the problem.
“The hardest part about AI isn’t the technology anymore. It’s that 40% of organizations are reporting zero measurable impact from their AI investments,” says Etkin. “We’re in this weird spot where everyone knows AI is critical, but half the teams are still in pilot mode trying to figure out what actually works. The reality is that bad data creates bad AI, and most companies are still building the foundational infrastructure they need to make AI effective. You can’t just dump your messy contracts into a tool and expect magic.
What I’m seeing work is when teams start with problem-centric AI rather than tech-centric AI. Instead of asking ‘how do we use AI,’ successful teams are asking ‘what specific problems can AI solve today.’ The companies getting real ROI aren’t the ones with the flashiest demos. They’re the ones using AI to eliminate the manual work that’s been holding their teams back for years. For us at Tropic, we’re working on bringing this to the forefront for finance and procurement teams. When your procurement team can focus on strategic supplier relationships instead of data entry, that’s when AI becomes a true business multiplier.”
The message is clear: AI doesn’t need to be feared, but it does need to be better understood. It’s not a silver bullet-but when deployed thoughtfully, with the right data and a clear business problem in mind, it’s proving to be a powerful engine for transformation.
For finance and procurement leaders, the challenge now isn’t whether AI will matter-it’s making sure it matters for the right reasons, and that teams are ready to lead, not lag, in the next phase of operational evolution.
