AI Rises in Treasury Priorities, but Cash Forecasting Remains Top Challenge — Association for Financial Professionals, Inc.

Event summary

AI/automation ranked among the top five treasury priorities (30%) in the 2026 AFP Treasury Benchmarking Survey.
Cash and liquidity forecasting remains the most challenging treasury activity (49%) and the top priority overall (63%).
Only 34% of respondents view themselves as effective in AI knowledge, compared with 50% who consider it important.
The largest leadership capability gap centers on future planning, with a 29 percentage point difference between importance and effectiveness.

The big picture

Treasury departments are balancing longstanding liquidity responsibilities with the growing importance of AI and automation. The survey highlights that technology investments alone are insufficient; organizations must also develop governance frameworks, leadership capabilities, and workforce skills to support these evolving priorities. This shift reflects broader industry trends where AI adoption is accelerating, but implementation challenges persist.

What we're watching

AI Governance: How treasury departments will address the low effectiveness scores (2.9 out of 5) in AI and emerging technology policies.
Skill Development: Whether organizations can bridge the AI knowledge gap to support broader adoption of AI initiatives.
Strategic Leadership: The pace at which treasury leaders improve future planning capabilities to meet the expanding mandate.