Basware CFO Martti Nurminen says finance leaders must upskill in AI. He argues they must balance deterministic finance needs with probabilistic AI outputs. Nurminen states accurate financial data remains the minimum requirement. He notes CFOs must set policies, rules and tolerance thresholds for AI use. Nurminen says CFOs should study AI, consult teams and external parties. He reports his own calendar now allocates far more time to AI. Nurminen draws parallels between a CFO’s role and a soccer goalkeeper’s. He believes CFOs must drive competitive advantage through AI proficiency. A recent IBM survey supports his view on CFOs’ growing AI governance role.

• 56% of CFOs expect more AI governance responsibility by 2030
• 79% co-design AI governance with tech leaders
• 62% took on new AI strategy responsibilities