The big picture: The race to adopt AI is exposing foundational weaknesses in many organizations. The study suggests that without addressing core problems like poor data quality, legacy technology, and talent shortages, many AI initiatives are likely to underperform.

This creates a widening performance gap, with CFOs at companies over $10 billion reporting stronger data foundations, more mature governance, and higher ROI than their mid-market counterparts.

By the numbers: The study, which surveyed 200 U.S. CFOs, identified several key barriers to realizing AI's potential:

Data Trust: Only 10% of CFOs say they fully trust their enterprise data, with 35% citing data trust as their top barrier to AI ROI.
Technical Debt: 86% report that legacy systems are limiting their AI readiness.
Skills Gaps: 68% cite a lack of necessary skills as a significant challenge to achieving AI ROI.
Governance: While most (69%) report having established AI risk frameworks, nearly a third (31%) are still in early or informal stages.

What they're saying: "AI ambition is accelerating, but enterprise foundations have not kept pace," said Scott Rottmann, President of Consulting Services at RGP. "CFOs are emerging as the orchestrators of enterprise transformation, but turning AI’s promise into performance requires strengthening the systems, data, and talent that make AI scale with confidence."

SURVEY: CFOs Face an AI Foundational Divide

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