AI is useful in finance work, but only when its role is clear. The question is not whether to use AI. It is where the AI step ends and the human step begins.
What AI handles well
- Preparing and cleaning data.
- Classifying items, such as tagging expense lines.
- Spotting unusual items and raising alerts.
- Writing a first draft of a summary or a reminder email.
- Triggering the next step in a workflow.
What stays with a person
- Judgement about what is material.
- Understanding business context the data does not show.
- Interpreting what a number means.
- Approving anything that moves money or goes to a customer.
- The final decision.
Design the review step on purpose
A good workflow has a visible review point. For example, the system lists overdue invoices and drafts a reminder, and a person reads the draft and approves or edits it before it is sent. The reviewer should see the data behind each draft.
Keep a trail
Record what the AI produced, who approved it and when. If something goes wrong, you can see where.
AI does the repetitive work. People keep the responsibility.
This is the approach I prefer for every automation: clear rules, a draft from AI where it helps and a person reviewing what matters.