AI in finance 2026: Closing the value gap in Technology, Media and Telecommunications

As AI gives finance access to faster forecasting, scenario analysis and insights, the opportunity is to connect those capabilities to decisions across the enterprise. That requires planning to move beyond budgets and forecasts and bring finance, technology and operations together around a shared view of priorities, investments and outcomes.

KPMG’s AI in Finance 2026 findings show Canadian organizations continue to lag global peers in improvements to forecast accuracy and decision-making speed. The implication is important: better insight only creates value when organizations can act on it.

For telecommunications providers, where network investment, technology modernization, customer experience and operational performance compete for capital and resources, integrated planning can help leaders evaluate trade-offs, redirect investment and move from AI-enabled insight to action.

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Integrated business planning is becoming a transformation enabler

As AI adoption grows, planning can no longer operate in functional silos.

Leading organizations are using integrated business planning to connect finance, technology and operations through a shared view of priorities, investments and outcomes. This is becoming increasingly important as organizations seek to close the gap between AI-generated insights and business decisions. KPMG's AI in Finance report found that Canadian organizations continue to lag global peers in forecast accuracy and decision-making improvements, underscoring the importance of better alignment across functions.

For telecommunications providers, where decisions around network investments, technology modernization and customer experience are deeply interconnected, integrated planning helps organizations allocate capital more effectively, accelerate decision-making and translate insight into action.

Data and governance are becoming competitive differentiators

AI in finance depends on more than financial data. To improve forecasting, planning and investment decisions, finance needs a trusted view of the operational and customer drivers behind financial performance.

KPMG's AI in Finance 2026 research found that improving data quality, integration and interoperability is the top AI value opportunity identified by Canadian respondents (43 per cent). For technology, media and telecommunications organizations, that means connecting financial data with customer, operational and technology data that often sit across disparate systems.

Leading organizations are focusing on three priorities:

Connect financial and operational data so leaders can understand not only what is changing, but what is driving performance.
Create common data definitions and ownership to reduce reconciliation and improve confidence in AI-enabled forecasts and insights.
Govern AI around business outcomes, with clear accountability for decisions, investments and value realization.

The opportunity is to give finance and business leaders a more connected view of performance, enabling faster decisions and a clearer line between AI investment and enterprise value.

Creating value beyond cost reduction

KPMG’s AI in Finance 2026 findings suggest Canadian organizations are increasingly looking beyond efficiency when assessing AI’s potential. Canadian respondents identified greater responsiveness (41 per cent), competitive advantage (37 per cent) and improved customer experience (37 per cent) among the top benefits of agentic AI, ahead of lower operating costs (27 per cent).

For technology, media and telecommunications leaders, this changes how AI value should be measured. The question is not how many use cases are deployed or hours are saved. It is whether AI is helping the organization make better investment decisions, respond faster to customers and market shifts, and improve business performance.

Closing that value gap requires finance to play a broader role: connecting AI-enabled insights to integrated planning, bringing financial and operational data together, and establishing clear measures of value.

The next phase of AI in finance is not simply about transforming finance. It is about using finance’s enterprise-wide view to turn AI-enabled insight into better decisions and measurable business value.

Download the full 2026 Canadian AI in Finance report to explore the survey findings, emerging trends, and practical actions finance leaders can take to accelerate AI adoption, strengthen trust, and unlock measurable value.

AI in finance 2026: Closing the value gap

Redesigning workflows to deliver measurable business outcomes and build organizational trust.

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How we can help

Technology, media and telecommunications organizations have largely moved beyond asking whether AI belongs in the enterprise. The next challenge is turning AI-enabled insight into measurable value.

KPMG helps technology, media and telecommunications organizations bridge the gap between AI adoption and value realization. By bringing together finance, technology, operations and data, we help organizations strengthen planning, build trusted data foundations, establish scalable governance and connect transformation investments to measurable business outcomes.