Generative AI (GenAI) tools ranked as the single most critical future skill among finance professionals in Southeast Asia, yet 72 percent of respondents globally reported only basic or no GenAI proficiency.

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) emphasized the figures in its “Enabling finance insight: Bridging skills and data gaps for AI-enabled finance” report featuring responses of 1,600 finance professionals.

The 72 percent figure include 34 percent of respondents said they have zero skills working with GenAI tools and 38 percent with basic skills only.

As many as 39 percent of Southeast Asia respondents named GenAI tools as a top-three critical skill for the next five years, the highest-ranked capability in the region. Others are data visualization at 34 percent, process automation at 29 percent, data storytelling and executive communication at 27 percent, real-time dashboard creation and monitoring at 25 percent, and predictive analytics at 24 percent.

Traditional technical skills ranked considerably lower, including database management at 16 percent and programming at 11 percent.

Despite the priority placed on GenAI, proficiency and formal training lag behind. As many as 41 percent of respondents said they are seeking training and upskilling in their own time. Besides, 93 percent of finance professionals globally said they are concerned about the integrity and verifiability of AI-generated insights, citing issues including AI hallucinations, inaccuracies, incomplete data sets, lack of transparency, and bias.

Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive of ACCA, said finance teams are evolving from retrospective reporting into strategic enablers of insight, but that upskilling is critical. Brand said CFOs and finance teams need to lead in the responsible adoption of AI, with robust training, governance, critical thinking, and ethical approaches in place.

Ainslie van Onselen, CEO of CA ANZ, said AI is now a core part of the finance toolkit but should be used to sharpen judgement rather than simply accelerate existing processes. Structured learning and closer collaboration with IT and data teams are necessary to manage risk, and upskilling is not optional, the executive added.

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