Drivetrain Releases "State of AI in FP&A" Report, Revealing How AI is Giving Rise to a New Kind of Finance Talent

New data shows finance teams are fundamentally changing their hiring practices, while revealing major gaps in governance, learning investment, and meaningful AI integration.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Drivetrain, an AI-native business planning platform, helping companies plan and execute with precision, today released its State of AI in FP&A report, a first-of-its-kind look into how financial planning and analysis (FP&A) teams are using artificial intelligence in real-world operations.

Based on a targeted survey of 258 verified finance professionals, the report reveals a finance function in transition. While 79% of FP&A teams are using AI tools today, most deployments remain limited to quick wins like Excel automation and report polishing. The real transformation is happening in how finance teams are preparing for deeper AI integration by fundamentally changing who they hire.

"Finance leaders everywhere are telling us they need to hire AI specialists in 2025," said Alok Goel, CEO and Co-founder of Drivetrain.ai. "For the first time in decades, the most critical new finance hires won't have finance backgrounds—they'll have technical skills that barely existed when today's CFOs started their careers."

Key Findings of the Report include:

• New roles like AI analyst and AI systems expert are expected to become staples in finance teams within the next 2–3 years.
• 90% are optimistic about AI, but 65% spent less than five hours last month learning to use it.
• Only 28% of companies have formal AI usage policies, raising red flags around compliance and decision integrity.
• LLMs like ChatGPT, Google Gemini drive 93% of the AI adoption, but FP&A teams are beginning to experiment with AI-native finance tools.

The report is designed to help CFOs and finance leaders benchmark their AI adoption strategies against peers, identify where AI is already saving time—and where it still falls short, and rethink talent, structure, and governance for the future.

As AI reshapes the financial services landscape, this report serves as both a wake-up call and a strategic roadmap. While experimentation is common, transformation is still rare, and the gap between the two is widening. For finance professionals, this is a pivotal moment: those who invest in upskilling, governance, and purpose-built tools will define the next generation of strategic finance. For enterprises, the message is clear: AI won't replace your finance team, but it will radically change what your finance team needs to succeed.

To review the complete results and insights, professionals can download the full State of AI in FP&A report at State of AI in FP&A Report | Drivetrain

For media inquiries, contact:
Ronjini Joshua
PR for Drivetrain
[email protected]
(949) 295-9779

SOURCE Drivetrain