NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artificial intelligence adoption in accounts payable is accelerating. According to The AI Momentum Report, released today by Vic.ai, 72% of finance teams already use AI in AP or finance, and 82% plan to make new investments in the next 12 months. Drawing on insights from nearly 800 AP and finance leaders across industries, the report provides the first benchmark of adoption levels, sentiment, and investment priorities shaping the next era of AP automation.
The findings reveal that AI is no longer experimental; it’s operational. Many organizations report using some form of AI in AP or finance, most often to improve work speed, accuracy, and efficiency. Yet inefficiencies remain widespread: 37% of respondents still cite manual data entry and 36% highlight high processing costs as top pain points. Among non-users, 44% said data entry is the first process they want AI to solve.
“Finance teams are no longer asking if AI belongs in AP — they’re asking how fast they can scale and where it can add the most value,” said Alexander Hagerup, CEO and Co-Founder of Vic.ai. “The data shows AI is becoming the operating system for accounts payable, and forward-looking finance leaders are seizing the opportunity to transform how work gets done.”
The report highlights sharp differences by role. 74% of executives and 75% of managers report AI use, often framing it as a driver of productivity and financial process management. Among staff, only 50% report use, and they are more likely to see AI as a helper for repetitive tasks or a potential threat to job security. This divergence underscores the importance of communication and education as adoption scales.
AI strategy is also maturing. 82% of organizations now have a defined AI strategy for AP, often led by IT in collaboration with finance leaders and AP teams. This marks a shift from opportunistic pilots to structured adoption.
The investment outlook is strong. 82% of respondents are likely to invest in AI and AP automation tools within the next 12 months, prioritizing high-impact areas such as data extraction (44%), invoice approvals (42%), and fraud/compliance monitoring (41%). Respondents pointed to performance benchmarks, transparency, security assurances, and team training as critical to building confidence in adoption.
“This report cuts through the AI hype to show what’s actually happening inside AP teams,” added Mark Fisher, SVP of Marketing at Vic.ai. “It gives finance leaders a trusted benchmark with real adoption data, real sentiment, and real priorities to guide strategies and investments for the year ahead.”
Key Insights from the AI Momentum Report::
- Adoption benchmarks: 72% of organizations already use AI in AP or finance, with 55% at optimizing or scale stages.
- Sentiment by role: Executives and managers view AI as a productivity driver; staff remain more cautious.
- Pain points and ROI drivers: Manual data entry, high costs, and slow approvals align directly with AI’s strongest capabilities.
- Investment outlook: 82% of organizations are likely to invest in the next 12 months, prioritizing data extraction, approvals, and compliance.
- Enablers of adoption: Performance proof, security assurances, peer validation, and training will be critical for scaling.
The full report is now available for download at: https://content.vic.ai/ai-momentum-report
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