Fears that artificial intelligence will replace human labor over the next few years may not be as widespread among finance professionals as they are among the general public.
While Americans’ general concerns about AI have risen in recent years according to the polling company Gallup, some industry leaders report the technology has not yielded widespread reductions in headcount so far. And there are signs finance executives expect the tool to yield opportunities to reshape the workforce in a positive way.
In total, 71% of U.S. adults surveyed stated they believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years, according to the results of a June poll from Gallup, a sentiment that increased seven percentage points since 2024. Just five percent stated AI would result in more jobs, while 10% said the technology would not make much of a difference.
But AI has not led to “consistent reductions in overall workforce size,” according to a recent report from analytics firm Gartner. Rather, the impact AI has had on team composition differs from function to function, the report stated, even increasing the demand for higher-skilled roles in some cases.
To better gauge finance executives' views, CFO Dive asked its audience what they see AI’s biggest workforce impact being at their own companies via an informal LinkedIn poll ended Monday. The CFOs, VPs and other finance executives who responded did not rule out job cuts, but also did not largely express concerns on the impact AI would have on headcount at their respective organizations.
Fifty-four percent of the 26 respondents indicated that higher employee productivity would be the biggest workforce impact of AI at their company. Another 19% stated it would lead to the creation of new roles, while just 15% said it would cut existing roles, and 12% indicated fewer employees would be needed.
The findings come as many companies believe AI will ultimately improve productivity and create more output, Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas told CFO Dive
Some organizations are using the technology as an opportunity to realign their workforces, with certain positions being replaced by AI tools, said Challenger. But companies have most often used AI as a tool to aid their workers, not replace them, Challenger said.
“We're hearing a lot about reskilling and retraining workers to use AI tools to become productive,” said Challenger.
Early predictions about the widespread job losses due to AI so far haven't come to fruition, according to a July 2026 policy report from Stanford University
Many major tech leaders have changed their rhetoric about massive job losses due to AI, and companies have reportedly shifted their AI strategies after discovering the technology couldn’t actually replace everything their human workers could do, Challenger said.
Ford, for instance, rehired hundreds of veteran engineers and inspectors after admitting their AI-powered quality control systems did not live up to expectations, according to a BBC report. And Block, a financial services company, rehired some employees shortly after laying off much of its workforce in February as part of its AI strategy, Business Insider reported.
Businesses in the U.S. actually need to turn to AI to help substitute for a workforce that is shrinking largely due to Baby Boomers entering retirement, CFO Dive previously reported.
Still, many workers remain concerned about AI and the impact it will have on their jobs, said Challenger.
“What we know is that this is a transformational technology, and workers will be served well if they actively investigate how they can use it in their work,” he said.
