The rise of AI agents for finance
Last October, Gartner’s 10 strategic technology trends for 2025 put agentic artificial intelligence (AI) at the top of the list, defining it as “autonomous AI [that] can plan and take action to achieve goals set by the user.” AppZen, along with global companies like ServiceNow and Salesforce, is using this new technology to solve business challenges. AI is being incorporated everywhere, these days and it’s already proving it can deliver sustainable value over time.
What’s so special about AI agents? What is an agentic AI platform? And how can you apply one to your accounts payable (AP) processing and expense audits?
“Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) goes beyond generative AI (GenAI) by enabling autonomous decision-making, collaboration, and learning to revolutionize financial services.”
Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and the World Economic Forum
AI agents are shifting finance from reactive to proactive
AppZen has been building and deploying AI for over a decade to help finance teams solve complex problems. We’ve watched the explosive growth of AI tools across various industries with excitement, as it's helped drive more informed conversations with our customers. AI agents are the latest in AI automation features, and they’re already changing business automation and decision-making.
AI has grown from a tool that simply responds to commands to a partner that takes initiative. Rather than just answering questions, agentic platforms actively work across connected systems to meet the goals you give them, operating on their own while staying within the boundaries you set.
What is an agentic AI platform?
An agentic application platform enables the creation, customization, and deployment of autonomous AI agents. In other words, these platforms provide the base technology for running AI services and products. They reduce complexity and cost with complete feature sets and the ability to grow with your needs. Because AI tools are integrated across the platform, operations are more efficient. Isolated finance workflows gain visibility and improve in functionality.
AppZen and global companies like ServiceNow and Salesforce have incorporated AI Agents into products via agentic AI platforms. This, then, is AppZen’s foundation for building, connecting, and using AI Agents (that’s “Agents” with a capital “A”) in our finance applications.
What makes an AI platform like AppZen’s different
Independent task management – Creating, assigning, and managing tasks across multiple workflows
Proactive engagement – Working autonomously in the background handling complex tasks without constant human oversight
Connected data – Drawing from multiple data sources across systems and workflows for improved decision-making
Cross-system integration – Working directly within your existing business applications
Extensible and customizable – Supporting multiple business functions with AI that works exactly the way you want it to
Conversational interfaces – Interacting with Agents in conversational language removes the need for technical skills
Security and governance – Operating within customizable security guardrails, using the platform's AI governance capabilities
Continuous improvement – AI Agents learn from every transaction and user interaction
How AI agents for finance are improving automation
AI agents are a significant shift from passive tools to proactive assistants that work independently to achieve broader goals. This trend has profound implications for various industries, including corporate finance. Here’s how AI agents are improving the work of corporate finance accounts payable (AP) and expense auditing teams:
Automating routine tasks – AI agents can process invoices, match them with purchase orders, and initiate payment workflows without human intervention
Enhanced accuracy – By reducing manual data entry and processing, AI agents minimize errors in financial transactions and reporting
Improved compliance – AI agents can automatically check expenses against company policies and flag potential violations for review
Fraud detection – Advanced AI algorithms can analyze patterns in expense reports and invoices to identify potential fraudulent activities
Cash flow optimization – AI agents can predict cash flow needs based on historical data and current payables, helping finance teams make informed decisions about payment timing
Real-time reporting – AI-powered dashboards can provide up-to-the-minute insights on AP status, expense trends, and potential issues
Where AppZen’s AI Agents offer a competitive advantage
AppZen’s AI Agents work alongside you and your team, handling routine tasks while bringing attention to exceptions that need your expertise. For example, our Auto-reject Agent finds non-compliant expenses and takes action without waiting for a person to review them. The AI Agent Workbench for AppZen Inbox turns email communications into organized workflows, managing vendor questions and tracking AP tasks from start to finish–all from your AP email inbox.
AI Agents also help extract more value when using other expense management systems. By integrating with your existing EMS or ERP, they handle a wider range of checks and reviews, often catching non-compliant spend and exceptions those systems missed. Expense auditors and AP processors have more time to investigate the suspicious activity the Agents bring to your attention.
AI Agents bring long-term results to AppZen customers
Finance teams using our AI Agents report several areas of improvement. Productivity increases allow finance staff to handle more volume while reducing operational costs. Faster vendor payments and employee reimbursements improve satisfaction scores. More timely payment decisions improve cash flow management. Most companies see returns on their investment within the first year.
But Agentic AI doesn’t just automate tasks—it changes how people work. By creating effective partnerships with “digital coworkers,” organizations using Agents let AI handle repetitive, rule-based work. People focus instead on judgment calls and the complex decisions that require real, human expertise. It's a practical way to manage complexity without adding headcount. Ultimately, AI Agents–and the platforms that enable them–give teams room for growth and innovation.
