Workiva Report: Urgent Need for High-Quality Data, Governance, and Role-Specific Resources to Unlock AI Value

NEW YORK – July 24, 2025 – A new global study from Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK), titled "AI and Building Value Amidst Disruption," highlights that while AI adoption is rapidly accelerating, with 74% of corporate reporting professionals already using AI in their daily work, many organizations remain unprepared for the demands of this transformation. Based on a survey of 2,300 finance, sustainability, audit, and risk professionals, the report highlights both the substantial returns AI is delivering and the significant gaps that still exist in foundational readiness.

Key Findings:

  • High ROI & Accelerating Adoption: 88% of respondents reported increased ROI from AI usage over the past year, 96% reported time savings, and 94% noted increased productivity within their company. 
  • Readiness Gaps Drive Risk: Nearly two-thirds (over 60%) of professionals cite deficiencies in high-quality data, governance policies, and role-specific tools and training.
    Confidence Through Commitment: Practitioners confident in their company’s AI strategy are twice as likely to have foundational elements in place.
  • Sustainability Leads AI Efficiency: 61% of sustainability professionals say AI helps them manage large data volumes, ahead of peers in finance and accounting (52%).

Executive Perspectives: "Realizing AI’s unprecedented value hinges on the quality, accessibility, and governance of data. Fragmented, unreliable, or siloed data can cripple even the most advanced AI initiatives," said Kim Huffman, CIO of Workiva. "Real impact requires trusted data, strong oversight, and equipping teams with the right capabilities, tools and role-specific training, to use AI responsibly and effectively."

Brandon Buhler, Chief Accounting Officer, Playa Hotels & Resorts, added, "If you can use AI to publish trusted, dependable data and you’re sought out to solve strategic problems within the company, then the people who oversee the data become the competitive advantage."

Companies best positioned for success with AI are those investing immediately in the integrity, accuracy, and security of their data.

More Information: Read Workiva’s 2025 Global Practitioner Survey.


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About Workiva 
Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) powers transparency, accountability, and trust. Finance, accounting, sustainability, risk, and audit teams from more than 6,000 organizations worldwide, including 80% of FORTUNE® 1,000 companies, rely on Workiva for their mission-critical work. We transform how customers connect data, unify processes, and empower teams in a secure, audit-ready, AI-powered, collaborative platform. Learn more at workiva.com.
 

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