Rethinking Finance: Where AI Acts, Explains, and Anticipates

As AI shifts from suggesting to acting—and from automating to anticipating—the finance function is entering a new phase. BlackLine’s CTO, Jeremy Ung, unpacks what it takes for CFOs to lead when decisions are no longer made at month-end, but in milliseconds.

- By Minu Sirsalewala

JEREMY UNG CTO, BlackLine

For decades, finance automation has promised faster closes and fewer errors. But Al is now doing something fundamentally different: taking independent action, explaining its logic, and flagging risks before they occur. In this exclusive exchange with Minu Sirsalewala, Executive Editor, Dataquest, Jeremy Ung, CTO at BlackLine, outlines what separates automation from intelligence—and why the CFO's relevance now hinges on how well they can partner with AI, not just monitor it.

Finance Al is evolving from automation to prediction and action. What's enabling that shift—and what still stands in the way?

We've moved from “AI that flags issues” to “AI that manages outcomes.” These are no longer static tools—they're agents operating within workflows. They reconcile, assess risks, and identify compliance gaps before they're visible to humans.

This shift allows finance teams to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive financial management, optimising cash flow and ensuring compliance before issues arise.

A key challenge in making Al-driven finance truly reliable is data quality. Inconsistent or incomplete financial data can lead to inaccurate predictions. Additionally, Al's decision-making process must be explainable to meet regulatory standards and earn stakeholder trust. Without transparency, finance leaders may hesitate to fully embrace AI-driven insights.