Good morning. A new report from TD Bank U.S. finds that employees are embracing AI as a productivity tool, but they’re not ready to hand over decision-making authority.
According to TD’s second annual AI Insights Report, released on Tuesday, 83% of employed respondents said they now use AI-powered tools at work, up 20 percentage points from last year. Adoption rose across both employer-provided tools, rising to 75% from 63%, and independently accessed tools, which climbed to 78% from 66%. Respondents who use AI say it helps them work faster, generate ideas more easily, and make decisions more efficiently. Notably, 71% say AI gives them a competitive edge over peers in similar roles.
For CFOs, the signal isn’t just growing adoption. It’s a broader shift in workforce mindset: AI is increasingly being viewed less as a job threat and more as a performance lever. That has meaningful implications for how finance leaders position AI investments and workforce enablement internally.
The report also offers insight into how AI is reshaping expectations in financial services. Just over half of respondents, 55%, say they use AI to help manage their finances, up sharply from just 10% a year ago. TD’s findings are based on a nationwide survey of more than 2,500 consumers.
Even so, surveyed employees draw a clear line around decision rights. Most prefer AI to surface insights and recommendations while humans retain final authority, mirroring broader consumer sentiment around financial services. Just 18% say they would trust AI to make financial recommendations entirely on its own. Comfort was highest when AI supported behind-the-scenes functions such as product or service recommendations, fraud detection, tracking spending, and calculating credit scores.
“Consumers see real value in AI when it simplifies their experience, without losing the human touch,” according to Jo Jagadish, head of digital banking, payments and contact centers at TD Bank U.S.
Trust, however, is gradually building. Sixty-two percent of respondents say they trust AI to provide honest, reliable, and competent information, up from roughly half last year. TD Bank is also investing accordingly: The bank has roughly 2,500 employees working on AI development and has partnered with Columbia University to provide executive AI training for senior leaders.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
