Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into finance, and Workday's latest results show that businesses are ready to use it.
Workday reported $2.649 billion in revenue for its fiscal second quarter, up 12.8% from a year earlier. Subscription revenue reached $2.471 billion, an increase of 13.9%.
But the number Accounts Payable professionals should pay closest attention to is not revenue.
It is AI adoption.
Workday also reported that AI drove more than 25% of its new annual contract value during the quarter.
That matters because Workday sits inside the finance and business operations of more than 11,500 organizations worldwide, including more than 65% of the Fortune 500.
AI Is Moving Into Finance Work
Workday is moving beyond AI that simply gives employees information. The company is developing AI agents designed to perform parts of business processes.
One example is Workday's Financial Audit Agent, which is now generally available. Workday says the agent is designed to significantly reduce the time required to build audit evidence packages.
The company has also introduced Adaptive Decision Intelligence. The technology allows finance and operations teams to ask questions using everyday language, model different scenarios in minutes and act on the results.
This points toward a larger change in Accounts Payable.
AP professionals have already watched automation take over parts of invoice capture, coding, matching, approval routing and duplicate detection.
AI agents could push automation further by handling longer processes and taking actions within rules established by the organization.
What Does This Mean for AP Professionals?
It does not mean that AP professionals suddenly become unnecessary.
In fact, more automation can make AP knowledge even more important.
Someone still needs to decide what an AI agent is allowed to do. Someone must review exceptions, protect vendor information, maintain segregation of duties, investigate suspicious activity and make sure payments follow company policy.
The skills that matter may change.
An AP professional who understands Workday, internal controls, invoice workflows, vendor management and AI may become more valuable as companies automate more routine processing.
Controls Still Matter
Workday itself appears to recognize the importance of controlling AI agents.
The company introduced Agent Passport, which tests and verifies AI agents before they enter production and continuously monitors them afterward. Workday says the system can be used with both Workday-built and third-party agents.
For AP departments, that idea should sound familiar. Technology may change, but good controls remain essential.
An AI agent that can review invoices or prepare financial information may save time. An agent with too much authority, weak monitoring or unnecessary access to vendor and payment information could also create new risks.
AP leaders should ask the same kinds of control questions they already ask about employees, systems and financial processes:
- What information can the AI agent access?
- What actions can it take?
- Which actions require human approval?
- How are its decisions recorded?
- Who reviews exceptions?
- What happens when the agent makes a mistake?
The Opportunity for AP
The message from Workday's latest results is clear: AI in finance is moving from experiment toward everyday business use.
For AP professionals, now is the time to learn how these systems work and prepare to manage them.
The future of AP may involve less manual processing, but organizations will still need people who understand controls, suppliers, exceptions, fraud risks and how money moves through an organization.
Those professionals could become the people organizations rely on to make sure AI does the work correctly.
How is your organization using AI in Accounts Payable today?
Are you already working with AI agents, or is your team still focused on traditional AP automation? Share your experience with the Accounts Payable Professionals community.
APPG Leadership
Robert Ruhno
Executive Director
Robert leads APPG’s mission, editorial direction, member community, and efforts to advance the Accounts Payable profession.
Mariann Ruhno
Chief Education Officer
Mariann leads APPG’s education strategy, professional-development resources, and initiatives designed to help AP professionals strengthen their skills and careers.
Practical education, reporting, and community resources for Accounts Payable professionals.
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