How I Stopped Worrying About AI taking over my finance career (and Started Working With It)

Is AI going to take over my finance career?

By 'Mark' (not his real name)

When I first started reading about artificial intelligence in finance, I’ll be honest — I felt nervous. The more I understood what AI could do, the more unsettled I became.

I’ve been in finance for years. I’ve spent countless hours building models, analysing data, and writing reports. But suddenly, I was seeing headlines about AI systems that could automate half of what I did for a living. I remember sitting at my desk late one night and thinking, “If AI can do my job faster and better, what happens to me?”

It wasn’t just curiosity anymore — it was anxiety.

The Questions That Kept Me Awake

As I dug deeper, I started asking myself a lot of questions:

• Am I becoming obsolete?

• If AI can analyse data in seconds, what’s left for someone like me?

• How do I stay relevant when the technology seems to move faster every month?

Those questions were uncomfortable, but they were also important. Because underneath them was a bigger truth: AI isn’t just changing technology — it’s changing what it means to be a finance professional.

I realised I had two options. I could either ignore it and hope for the best, or I could face it head-on, learn what it really meant, and adapt. I chose the second path.

What I Discovered About AI in Finance

The first thing I learned is that AI isn’t the enemy. It’s a tool — and, if used correctly, a very powerful one.

I saw how AI could automate the most time-consuming parts of finance: cleaning data, running reports, reconciling transactions. Tasks that used to take me hours could now be completed in minutes. But I also saw that while AI was great at processing, it wasn’t great at understanding.

AI can’t explain why a forecast looks the way it does. It can’t sense when a client is nervous or when a business partner needs reassurance rather than more data. It doesn’t understand the politics of a board meeting, or the nuance of a regulatory change.

That’s when it hit me: AI isn’t replacing finance professionals — it’s changing what we’re here to do.

From Number Cruncher to Storyteller

I realised that finance isn’t really about numbers. It’s about what those numbers mean — and how you tell that story to others.

As AI began to take on the repetitive, manual parts of my job, I found myself spending more time analysing, interpreting, and communicating insights. I was no longer just preparing reports; I was explaining their implications, challenging assumptions, and helping senior leaders make better decisions.

In a strange way, AI made me more human in my role.

It pushed me to focus on the skills that machines don’t have: judgement, empathy, adaptability, and communication. It reminded me that while technology might do the calculations, it’s people who make the choices.

The Moment It Clicked

The turning point for me came during a quarterly review meeting. I’d used an AI forecasting tool to help model revenue scenarios. It had done the heavy lifting — running simulations, generating charts, predicting outcomes.

But when I presented the results, the discussion wasn’t about the numbers. It was about what they meant.

The CFO asked, “Mark, what would you do differently based on this?”

That was the moment I realised the value wasn’t in producing the report — it was in interpreting it. AI can analyse data, but it can’t decide which path a business should take. That still relies on human judgement.

The Skills That Will Matter Most

Once I understood this, my stress started to turn into motivation. Instead of fearing AI, I started asking a new question: How can I use it to make my work more valuable?

To do that, I had to change how I saw my own development. Here are the skills I decided to focus on — and the ones I think every finance professional should consider.

1. Digital Literacy

I didn’t need to become a data scientist, but I did need to understand how AI tools worked. I began learning basic programming in Python and exploring how data models are built. That knowledge gave me confidence — I stopped seeing AI as a threat and started seeing it as an opportunity.

2. Data Interpretation

It’s not enough to let AI produce outputs. You need to understand what those outputs mean, how reliable they are, and what decisions they should (or shouldn’t) inform.

3. Communication and Storytelling

Finance is full of complexity. The ability to translate technical data into simple, compelling narratives is becoming one of the most valuable skills in our field.

4. Critical Thinking and Ethics

AI can make mistakes — and sometimes those mistakes are invisible. Humans need to stay involved to ensure data is used responsibly, fairly, and transparently.

5. Adaptability and Continuous Learning

Technology won’t stand still, so neither can we. I made a commitment to keep learning — not just about finance, but about data, technology, and business in general.

The Human Edge

The more I worked with AI, the more I realised something surprising: it doesn’t take the “human” out of finance — it puts it back in.

AI can handle transactions, reconciliations, and forecasting. But empathy, negotiation, leadership, and creative problem-solving? Those remain human territory.

In fact, the finance professionals who will thrive in the coming years are the ones who can combine the best of both worlds — using AI for what it does best while doubling down on the qualities that make us human.

My Recommendations for Finance Professionals

If you’re feeling the same anxiety I felt a few years ago, here’s what I’d suggest:

1. Don’t panic — get curious. The best way to beat fear is to understand what you’re afraid of. Learn how AI tools work and how they’re being used in your field.

2. Start small. Try using AI to automate a simple task — maybe data collection or report preparation. Build confidence by experimenting.

3. Invest in soft skills. The more technology takes over technical tasks, the more valuable human skills become — communication, leadership, and adaptability.

4. Learn the language of data. You don’t have to code for a living, but a basic grasp of analytics or Python can open doors.

5. Stay ethical and informed. As finance becomes more data-driven, integrity and good judgement are more important than ever.

6. Be a bridge. Learn to connect the technology with the business strategy — that’s where the real influence lies.

Looking Ahead

Today, I feel optimistic. AI didn’t end my career — it expanded it. It gave me tools I never had before, and it reminded me that adaptability is our greatest professional asset.

I now see the future of finance as a partnership between people and technology. Machines will handle the heavy lifting, but humans will still lead — by thinking critically, communicating clearly, and making ethical decisions.

So yes, AI is changing the finance profession. But if we stay curious, keep learning, and lean into our human strengths, there’s no reason we can’t thrive in this new world.

And if I could go back to that worried version of myself — the one who stayed up at night wondering what AI meant for his career — I’d tell him this: Don’t be afraid of the technology. Be afraid of standing still.

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