AI agents have the potential to completely transform the way we do business, but PwC Thailand has found that adoption in financial operations is low—mainly because of concerns over cloud system latency and high costs.
Despite these challenges, the use of AI agents in finance departments is expected to grow in the near term, powered by advances in digital infrastructure and supportive government digital policy initiatives.
To stay competitive, businesses need to speed up their investments in AI to position their finance teams as strategic advisors who drive value through insightful data analysis.
Vilaiporn Taweelappontong, Asia Pacific Financial Services Consulting Leader and Consulting Lead Partner at PwC Thailand, said that Thai businesses are increasingly experimenting with AI agents, especially in customer service, sales, marketing and low-risk internal operations. But the adoption of AI agents for financial tasks is lower than anticipated.
“Thai organisations remain more cautious than many other countries, primarily due to concerns about data communication efficiency in cloud systems that may experience delays or latency, the relatively high costs of adopting AI technology, and the need to see clear and tangible results,” Vilaiporn said.
“Thai businesses stand to gain significant advantages from embedding AI agents in financial operations, which will transform finance department workflows. Currently most finance teams primarily handle transaction processing.
“In the future, with the help of AI agents, finance departments will automate tasks with enhanced control systems and accuracy, and they’ll be better equipped to effectively analyse data. This shift will elevate the finance department’s role to that of strategic advisors and analysts who drive the business using data and AI,” she said.
AI agents are playing a key role in transforming financial workflows, enabling a shift from repetitive tasks to automation and insightful data analysis.
Examples include managing accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) systems, account reconciliation, slip and expense verification, as well as tax accuracy checks, risk alerts before tax filing, financial forecasting, cash flow prediction, and liquidity management. These automations enable finance departments to significantly reduce processing times.
According to PwC, AI agents can reduce processing time by up to 90% and improve the accuracy and speed of forecasts by up to 40%. This transformation goes beyond automation; it also empowers finance professionals by enabling teams to focus more on creating business value rather than spending time on repetitive tasks. Increasing AI adoption is crucial for businesses to stay competitive
Vilaiporn highlighted that, although the use of AI agents in financial work in Thailand is not yet widespread, several factors are likely to drive increased adoption soon.
These include the government-backed development of a nationwide high-performance digital infrastructure aimed at fostering a digital economy, the implementation of government digital policies (e-Government), improvements to digital identity verification (e-KYC) through the National Digital ID (NDID) platform, and the growing investment by cloud service providers and other investors to expand local data centres.
But preparing personnel for effective AI use is crucial. Organisations should invest in upskilling their workforce through masterclass courses to deepen understanding of regulatory frameworks, risks, opportunities, co-pilot usage, and how to effectively review and interpret AI results.
Businesses should also provide secure tools and environments, such as secure sandbox testing areas and AI prompt libraries, to support experimentation without affecting real data.
Effective change management is important. Vilaiporn stated that managing employee motivation and alleviating concerns about technology are essential components. Establishing comprehensive and auditable governance frameworks will help ensure that the adoption of AI agents in financial operations is transparent, secure and broadly accepted across the organisation.
“Building an AI culture in an organisation is not only key to the sustainable adoption of AI agents in finance departments and other units, but it also helps businesses effectively adapt and compete in the digital era.
“Starting with a clear vision from leadership, designing appropriate goals and structures, and promoting the necessary skills and tools will enable organisations to fully unlock the potential of AI agents. This will elevate the role of the finance function as a vital force in driving the business forward, leading to value creation and improved efficiency,” she said.