1 in 2 US Finance Leaders Say the Future Is AI Plus Outsourcing. Not Either Alone.

For a time, industry leaders have been talking about how finance is changing. They say you have to choose between using intelligence or sending work outside the company.

About the survey
In fact, we recently surveyed US finance leaders to better understand how organizations are approaching AI adoption, outsourcing, and operational transformation in 2026.

The findings reveal that 51% of US finance leaders said the future of finance is AI + outsourcing. A growing shift toward hybrid operating models that combine AI-driven efficiency with outsourced operational support.

Because while AI is changing how finance teams work, many companies are realizing that technology alone cannot solve all the problems. Finance leaders still need teams that can grow people who know how to do things and someone to make sure everything is working correctly to make it work in the real world.

So, a new way of working is coming: finance teams that use intelligence and get help from people outside the company. The market is already moving in that direction.

Gartner says that by 2029, one third of finance staff will operate in “shared jobs”, where AI and humans jointly perform a single role. Gartner also predicts that 90% of finance functions will deploy at least one AI-enabled technology solution by 2026.

In a nutshell, AI is not replacing finance teams. It is changing how they work.

Finance Teams Need More Than Automation

AI is already making a big difference in finance operations:

• Faster finance reports
• Things are getting reconciled automatically
• Smarter forecasting
• AI-generated financial summaries
• Real-time problem detection

But most leaders are finding out that using artificial intelligence is the easy part. Making it work is harder. It still needs people to handle problems, check that things are correct, make sure everything is legal and compliant, and make decisions when it matters.

That is why Gartner says it is important to have a “human-machine learning loop” where artificial intelligence does the repetitive work and humans oversee making sure everything is working correctly understanding what is going on and making decisions.

This is where sending work outside the company becomes a thing.

The New Finance Operating Model and Why Finance Leaders Are Choosing Both

The old outsourcing model focused heavily on cost reduction. In the modern day, finance leaders are looking for partners who can work alongside with AI-enabled workflows and not just do simple tasks.

As AI adoption grows in daily operations, modern finance teams need help with making sure everything is working correctly, redesigning processes, managing data and overseeing workflows.

Gartner’s research even says that companies that only use layoffs to pay for intelligence are often not getting a good return on investment. The companies that are doing better are the ones that are investing in “human-amplified” operations.

How Acquire Delivers the Hybrid Finance Model

Here at Acquire, we think of AI and outsourcing as tools that can really help finance teams.

“Unlocking the power of AI is essential for companies to gain a competitive edge, however the future of exceptional customer service requires striking the right balance between AI and human support.” – Acquire Intelligence’s CEO Scott Stavretis

That’s why we help finance teams build a way of working that combines AI with people who know what they’re doing. We don’t just add robots to do tasks on top of ways of working. Instead, we help organizations completely rethink how finance work gets done from start to finish.

Here are some of the things we help with:

• AI-supported finance operations and workflow automation
• Outsourced finance and accounting support
• Exception handling and quality assurance
• Reporting and reconciliation support
• Process documentation and compliance workflows
• Scalable offshore teams aligned to business growth

Our approach uses technology, expertise, and people to help finance leaders grow faster without losing accuracy or customer experience.

Because changing finance for the better isn’t about using AI tools. The finance teams that are leading the way are moving beyond the idea that AI is replacing people.

The future is neither AI nor outsourcing. It’s building the right balance of both.

Transform your business, intelligently

Ready to explore what a hybrid finance model could look like for your business? Connect with our AI Consultants. Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights on AI, outsourcing, and the future of business operations.

It’s about building a way of working that can keep up with growth and make AI tools really work. That’s where using AI and outsourcing together becomes a big advantage for our clients like Samsung, Stripe, and Bitly.