Is AI taking your job? It depends
We're looking across the JMES specialisations to see where, how and when roles are being impacted by AI – focussing first on Executive Finance.
JMES and the growing need for bespoke hiring in Private Markets
A lot of AI Agents have human names or qualities – endearing or disconcerting depending on your viewpoint. Based on the type of phone you have you can talk to Siri, Alexa or Bixby and even yell at them when they don’t get it exactly right (and probably have). Speak to Jacki or Kacey at the drive-thru and leave a short time later with your burger or fried chicken. You can take part in a HuggingChat or ask Claude, Jasper, Ernie, Monica, Alice or Harvey any question you like, at any time, and get an answer. There’s even a chatbot name generator that will help you to give your newly created agent a bit of personality. But are Claude, Monica and Alexa ganging up to sit at your desk and eat all the office Tim Tams? There isn't an algorithm for that – but what you do and how you do it makes a measurable difference.
Recent work by our colleagues at EMM Research and Jackson Lucas utilises EMM’s AI Impact Score Dashboard tool to analyse how and where AI will change roles and whether that change will be one of support or substitution. The Dashboard scores roles separately across Automation and Human Advantage with roles falling into one of four action quadrants: Automate (high automation, lower human advantage), Augment (AI amplifies performance), Human-First (human judgment and relationships dominate), or Monitor (low impact for now). Discover more about EMM and their work here.
But, as EMM note “even within a role, scores are variable” and these variables come from the less tangible human nuances of relationships, emotions and judgement. We’re applying this thinking across the JMES specialisations to see where, how and when roles are being impacted by AI – focussing first on Executive Finance.
Accounting and finance roles involve repetition, calculation and the utilisation of varying forms of data – sometimes in large quantities. But are they high on automation and low on people power? It depends.
Michael Nolan leads the JMES Executive Finance practice. We asked him how things are playing out:
“From what I’m seeing in the market, there’s definitely a spectrum in how CFOs are approaching AI. At one end, some are planning reductions in finance headcount, particularly across process-driven roles which include reporting, reconciliations and transactional finance. In businesses that have recently gone through large system implementations, project teams get rolled off, and operational roles often get resized. At the same time, a lot of these activities are already partially outsourced, so the immediate impact locally may be less significant in the short term. The conversation becomes more interesting around where the opportunity sits. AI is accelerating a shift which is already happening in finance, the move away from process ownership and toward value-add. The roles that look most resilient are those closest to the business: finance business partners, commercial finance leads, strategic CFOs - finance professionals that can influence decision-making on the ground. These roles rely on judgement, stakeholder engagement, and understanding operational context. The bigger structural impact, in my view, is likely to come from new or fast-scaling businesses being built differently from early stages - embedding AI into core workflows, operating with leaner teams, and redefining what a 'normal' finance function looks like. That can put real pressure on larger, more established businesses. Equally, more effective third-party suppliers to large institutions help drive opportunities through supply chain efficiency. Outsourced providers will continue to innovate and reduce costs offshore. Overall, AI doesn't (and maybe can't) replace finance, but it sharpens the distinction between roles that create insight and influence decisions, and those that are primarily process driven.”
While the finance function is undeniably being impacted by AI, the human facets of these roles remain both valuable and irreplaceable. Organisations that utilise each of these strengths are likely to see the most benefits – from both sides of the equation.
The Tim Tam tin is probably safe for now, although you might want to hide it somewhere random where Claude and his mates won’t know to look for it. Get in touch with the JMES team here.
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