Why are CFOs Prioritising AI Talent to Boost Success?

As AI capabilities develop, finance leaders are increasing hiring momentum and sharpening AI priorities, but still feeling pressures to prove returns.

KPMG research suggests recruitment is set to increase across the financial sector, with 55% of firms planning to add staff. Within that, 57% of finance leaders say acquiring AI capabilities is their biggest focus next year.

The mix of talent targeted is shifting beyond AI engineers: KPMG finds demand for risk management, behavioural science and legal expertise to manage ethical AI adoption as firms pivot from acquiring tools to governing how people use them.

Discussing these findings, Karim Haji, Global and UK Head of Financial Services at KPMG, says: “AI is no longer just a productivity tool, it is actively shaping who firms hire and who they don’t.

“We’re already seeing a rise in ethical AI leadership roles going to people with expertise in behavioural and social science, law or psychology rather than purely technical or risk-based experience, this is helping firms design AI that is not only valuable, but safe, ethical and trustworthy.”

The role of AI in finance

For CFOs, the financial implications are immediate. Hiring will likely concentrate in functions such as compliance and risk management, alongside selective investments in AI platform engineering and data quality. 

Despite the pivot to AI hiring, finance remains comparatively cautious on adoption.

A 2025 Spendesk report found that 61% of finance teams have not yet implemented AI into their workflows.

The hesitation is grounded in hard-nosed concerns that the return on investment may not be significant enough, compounded by a skills gap: nearly a third of respondents cite lack of training as a limiting factor.

Where firms have committed, the strategic posture is broad. Goldman Sachs’ ‘OneGS 3.0’ AI-driven vision, announced in October 2025, couples productivity ambitions with a people agenda that prioritises upskilling and hiring for adaptability.

Going forward, the company anticipates that AI will reshape the way businesses operate, creating further growth opportunities within the financial sector.

As David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, shares on the Goldman Sachs Exchanges Podcast: “Technology has been disrupting jobs, changing the way people work, destroying jobs and forcing us as a vibrant economy to create new jobs for decades.”

The next phase of AI implementation

KPMG’s survey indicates the next phase of value creation hinges less on acquiring tools and more on how employees use them.

Leanne Allen, Head of AI Advisory at KPMG, says of the report: “What I’m seeing is that there’s a huge pressure, and this goes across all sectors, to adopt AI”. “There are cost pressures, the need to drive efficiencies … and there’s still that fear in terms of job displacement”.

She adds that, going forward, employees may be “monitored and measured for how much AI they’re using throughout the day”.

The report recommends robust governance to manage human and behavioural risks, and cautions against pushing accountability entirely onto end users.

Leanne says: “You shouldn’t put all that pressure onto a human because of the level of anxiety which could lead to non-adoption of AI.”

For CFOs, that translates into risk management, data stewardship, legal and privacy review and secure platform operations so individual teams can adopt AI more confidently.