Finance professionals sideline coding for GenAI

Data visualisation ranks second at 34% whilst process automation reaches 29%.

Database management and programming rank well below generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, amongst the skills that finance professionals in Southeast Asia expect to need over the next five years.

Only 16% of respondents in the region placed database management amongst their three most critical future skills, whilst 11% selected programming, according to research by ACCA and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). 

By comparison, 39% named GenAI tools, making it the highest-ranked capability in Southeast Asia.

GenAI was seen as the most important skill for the next five years, but training and current capability have not kept pace

The global survey of 1,600 finance professionals found that 39% of Southeast Asian respondents placed GenAI tools amongst their three most critical future skills. 

Data visualisation followed at 34%, process automation at 29%, data storytelling and executive communication at 27%, real-time dashboard creation and monitoring at 25%, and predictive analytics at 24%.

Across the survey, 72% of respondents said they had only basic or no GenAI skills. At the same time, 41% said they were seeking training and upskilling in their own time, indicating that formal workplace training remains limited.

The use of AI also raises concerns about the reliability of information. The report found that 93% of finance professionals were concerned about the integrity and verifiability of AI-generated insights. 

The main risks cited included fabricated or inaccurate outputs, incomplete data, limited transparency and bias.

Finance teams are also working more closely with technology specialists. Almost 60% of respondents reported close collaboration with data and IT teams, as finance functions take 

The report said finance leaders should strengthen GenAI literacy, predictive analytics, data storytelling, collaboration and data governance. It also said informal learning alone was not enough to manage the risks linked to wider use of AI.