The recent market shift reveals a striking reordering of priorities among finance professionals in Southeast Asia, with generative artificial intelligence rapidly outpacing traditional technical capabilities. According to research conducted by ACCA and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, 39% of regional respondents identified GenAI tools as one of their top three essential skills for the next five years, establishing it as the most highly ranked capability. By contrast, conventional IT competencies received significantly less emphasis, with only 16% of finance professionals prioritizing database management and a mere 11% selecting programming.
Despite the high demand for generative AI, the industry faces a severe capability gap and a lack of formal workplace instruction. The global survey of 1,600 finance professionals indicated that 72% possess minimal or no GenAI skills, prompting 41% of respondents to pursue self-directed upskilling during their personal time. Furthermore, 93% of finance professionals expressed deep concerns regarding the accuracy, transparency, potential bias, and verifiability of AI-generated insights. To navigate these integration risks and operational challenges, nearly 60% of finance functions are actively increasing collaboration with internal IT and data specialists, while industry leaders urge organizations to establish structured training in AI literacy, data governance, and predictive analytics.
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