75% of APAC CFOs Believe That AI Agents Will Drive Revenue: Survey The survey indicates that financial leaders increasingly see AI not merely as an emerging technology but as a long-term growth engine capable of reshaping business models and organisational structures
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Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) across the Asia Pacific (APAC) are moving rapidly from cautious observers to active investors in artificial intelligence (AI), with three-quarters now convinced that AI agents will both cut costs and generate new revenue, according to new research by Salesforce.
Just five years ago, 63 per cent of CFOs in the region described their AI strategies as conservative. Today, that figure has dropped to only 3 per cent. The survey indicates that financial leaders increasingly see AI not merely as an emerging technology but as a long-term growth engine capable of reshaping business models and organisational structures.
Agents driving budgets and growth
AI agents digital labour that can perform tasks autonomously are commanding growing attention. On average, CFOs in APAC dedicate 23 per cent of their AI budgets to these systems. Sixty per cent of CFOs said AI agents are critical to remain competitive, while 62 per cent acknowledged the technology is forcing a rethink in spending strategies. Almost a third (32 per cent) said AI has pushed them toward a bolder investment mindset.
The payoff is expected to be significant. Seventy-five per cent of CFOs believe AI agents will drive revenue in addition to lowering costs, with companies projecting revenue increases of nearly 20 per cent. A majority (77 per cent) expect the technology to transform their business models, and 58 per cent foresee agents taking on more strategic roles than routine functions.
Rethinking ROI
The survey found that 50 per cent of APAC CFOs are redefining how they measure return on investment (ROI) from technology. Instead of focusing only on immediate financial returns, they are weighing outcomes such as productivity gains, improved compliance, and better risk management.
"Traditional investments are judged by visible short-term results," one respondent noted. "AI delivers a mix of short- and long-term benefits, often through new business models." Another CFO pointed to AI's ability to deliver real-time budget tracking, which enhances forecasting accuracy and prevents overspending.
Adoption is also evident in core financial functions. Eighty-three per cent of CFOs said they are already using AI for business decisions, with risk assessments (85 per cent), financial forecasting (65 per cent) and profitability assessments (58 per cent) emerging as the most common applications.
Yet concerns persist. Security and privacy threats were cited by 68 per cent of respondents, while 62 per cent highlighted the long timeframes needed to realise AI's full ROI. Ethical risks and the ongoing costs of retraining and monitoring AI models also weigh on CFOs' strategies.
