The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) rose rapidly during 2019. In the coming year, this pace will climb even further. Enticed by the potential for the technologies to streamline workflows and improve customer service, organisations will be undertaking deployments in ever-increasing numbers. At the same time, the capabilities of the technologies will continue to grow at a breakneck pace. Where initially they were limited to assisting with very structured activities, they will increasingly be put to work in areas that until now have required human intervention.

When a major consumer company recently disclosed a multimillion-dollar accounting goof that had gone undetected for three years, it was forced to revise financial statements going back to 2016. The revelation sent its stock plummeting and prompted an ongoing SEC probe. Emerging technologies are doing more than streamline finance workflows. Ultimately, AI's greatest potential benefit for CFOs, managers and accountants is to help them make smarter, faster data-driven decisions. "The market is increasingly dynamic," says Meenakshi Tripathy, senior director and head of finance business products at ServiceNow.