Survey of over 100 SMB finance leaders uncovers adoption barriers, implementation challenges, and the accounting processes most transformed by AI
COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accounting Seed, a leading Salesforce-native accounting platform, today released The State of AI in Accounting 2026, a comprehensive survey examining how finance and IT leaders are adopting and implementing artificial intelligence in their accounting operations.
AI adoption lags behind industry hype
The survey of over 100 finance leaders reveals eight key findings—all pointing to a significant disconnect between AI expectations and current reality. While AI dominates industry conversations, actual implementation rates and struggles with disconnected systems tell a more nuanced story about the technology’s role in accounting today.
Key survey findings
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Adoption rates: Only 12% of finance teams are actively using AI tools, while 63% remain in evaluation or planning stages
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Time & effort: Manual work remains the norm, with 84% of respondents spending at minimum 25% of time on repetitive tasks—making AI an attractive solution
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Primary barriers: Data and integration struggles emerged as the leading obstacle to AI implementation, followed by security concerns and fear of errors
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Gaps in automation: 29% of organizations still haven’t automated core accounting work, limiting AI’s practical impact
“Finance leaders are caught between the promise of AI and actual results. While AI adoption in finance is still early, it’s accelerating. And the already stretched accounting teams are under real pressure to get tangible value from it,” said Nasser Chanda, CEO at Accounting Seed. “This research shows what’s actually working and is essential reading for anyone responsible for modernizing the close—the wave is coming!”
What separates successful AI implementations from the rest
The survey also identified critical success factors for AI adoption, including the move towards a single platform, change management strategies, and realistic expectation-setting with stakeholders.
“The most successful AI implementations we’re seeing share common characteristics: clear use cases, strong data foundations, and organizations willing to rethink traditional processes,” added Ryan Sieve, CTO at Accounting Seed. “For us at Accounting Seed, we focus on understanding the real challenges finance teams face so we can help them accomplish more with less friction.”
Click here to download the complete report or visit www.accountingseed.com to learn more.