A new study from professional services firm RGP finds a major gap between CFOs' high expectations for artificial intelligence and their organizations' ability to deliver on it. The AI Foundational Divide: From Ambition to Readiness report notes that while two-thirds of finance chiefs expect significant AI return on investment within two years, only 14% report seeing meaningful value today.

Why it matters: The findings place CFOs, who are increasingly tasked with driving enterprise-wide AI strategy, in a difficult position. Nearly half (48%) see themselves as ultimately responsible for ensuring AI delivers value, yet they are hampered by deep structural issues that threaten to stall adoption before it can scale.

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."

What to watch: The report recommends that CFOs focus on shoring up their operational foundations to close the gap. Key actions include modernizing data architecture, reducing technical debt, establishing clear governance, and developing cross-functional talent strategies focused on performance-driven metrics like forecast accuracy and decision velocity.

The AI Foundational Divide: From Ambition to Readiness study may be viewed here.

SOURCE: RGP

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