Gartner urges CFOs to set realistic time-to-value expectations for AI investments. 55% of CFOs reported positive overall returns from 2025 AI initiatives. 57% said returns for individual use cases were unclear. Simple finance use cases typically achieve value within nine to ten months. Complex applications require longer development periods. Gartner advises cutting underperforming initiatives after diagnosis. Finance teams may be over-focusing on productivity and cost reduction. Other objectives like risk management and revenue growth are cited far less often. The report was published on September 24, 2026.

• 55% of CFOs reported positive overall AI returns
• 57% said individual use case returns were unclear
• 73% cited productivity as an AI objective
• 59% cited cost reduction as an AI objective