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Why AI prompt writing is the next core skill for finance | Fortune

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  Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, September 18th 2025 at 10:01 GMT by Fortune
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Prompt‑Writing: The New CFO Core Skill in an AI‑Driven Financial Landscape

Fortune, 18 September 2025

In a rapidly digitising world where generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping every industry, Fortune’s latest feature – “Why AI prompt writing is the next core skill for finance CFOs” – argues that Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) cannot afford to be left behind. The article pivots on a simple but powerful idea: the ability to craft effective prompts for large‑language models (LLMs) such as GPT‑4 and Claude 2 is becoming as essential for finance leaders as financial modelling or regulatory compliance has always been.

1. From Numbers to Narratives: The New CFO Landscape

Fortune opens by charting the evolution of the CFO role. In the 1990s, the CFO was “the keeper of the books.” By the 2010s, the role had pivoted toward financial strategy, risk management and stakeholder communication. Now, with generative AI saturating finance functions, the CFO’s mandate is shifting again: to translate raw data into strategic insight on a real‑time basis. According to the article, “AI is no longer a buzzword; it is a decision‑making engine that can analyse terabytes of data in seconds and output actionable narratives.” The implication is that CFOs must become fluent in the language of AI—not just data, but prompts.

2. Why Prompt Writing Matters

The author cites several high‑profile CFOs and industry analysts. An unnamed CFO of a Fortune 500 company, quoted in the piece, said, “We had a model that could produce a risk report in half a day, but if the prompt is poorly phrased, the report is full of irrelevant risk buckets.” Similarly, an AI‑strategy lead at a leading consulting firm notes that “prompt engineering is the interface that controls what the AI outputs,” and therefore “directly influences decision quality.”

Fortune’s narrative emphasises that prompting is not a peripheral skill; it is central to controlling AI behaviour. The article outlines three core dimensions where prompt writing has a decisive impact:

3. Core Competencies Every CFO Should Master

Fortune’s article delineates a roadmap for CFOs. It calls for a hybrid skill set that blends finance acumen with technical fluency:

1. Data Literacy & Storytelling – Understanding the data sources (ERP, cloud accounting, external feeds) and being able to narrate their implications in plain language.
2. Prompt Design – Learning the syntax, tone, and structure that elicit the best AI responses. The article recommends training modules such as “Prompt Engineering for Finance” offered by providers like Deloitte and McKinsey.
3. Critical Evaluation – The CFO must vet AI outputs, recognise bias, and triangulate with human judgement. A recommended practice is “Prompt Auditing” where outputs are cross‑checked against baseline financial models.
4. AI Governance – Defining clear policies around data security, model validation, and regulatory oversight. The article points to the AI in Finance Regulatory Guide published by the European Banking Authority as a reference.
5. Stakeholder Communication – Translating AI‑driven insights into action plans for board members, investors, and operations teams.

The piece stresses that CFOs should treat prompt writing as an iterative skill, improving through repeated experimentation and learning from failures.

4. Real‑World Use Cases

Fortune illustrates the practical impact of prompt writing with three case studies:

• Automated Forecasting at a Retail Giant: The CFO’s team used a prompt like, “Provide a 12‑month sales forecast for the North‑American segment, factoring in the upcoming holiday season and current macroeconomic indicators.” The AI output was then reconciled with traditional forecasting, reducing the cycle time from weeks to hours.

• Risk Scanning in a Global Bank: Prompting the AI to “List all regulatory breaches in the last fiscal year across all jurisdictions, with supporting evidence.” This surfaced hidden compliance gaps that were addressed before the next audit.

• Budgeting for a Tech Startup: A prompt such as, “Create a zero‑based budget for the R&D department, prioritising projects that can achieve at least a 20 % ROI in 18 months.” Allowed the CFO to reallocate resources swiftly and align funding with growth objectives.

Each example underscores how the right prompt transforms raw data into actionable strategy.

5. Training & Adoption Pathways

The article suggests a structured adoption roadmap:

1. Assess Current Capability – Conduct a skills audit across finance teams.
2. Pilot Projects – Start with high‑value, low‑risk prompts (e.g., summarising quarterly reports).
3. Invest in Training – Partner with AI labs, enroll CFOs in university‑offered courses on prompt engineering, and use internal workshops.
4. Build an AI Center of Excellence – A dedicated team to develop reusable prompt templates and maintain a knowledge repository.
5. Governance Framework – Implement continuous monitoring of AI outputs, model drift checks, and ethical audits.

Fortune quotes a CFO from a mid‑size manufacturing firm: “We built a prompt library that anyone in finance could copy and paste. It’s lowered onboarding time for new hires by 30 % and made our risk reporting far more consistent.”

6. Challenges and Risks

Despite the clear benefits, the article cautions against complacency. Key risks include:

• Hallucinations – AI can produce plausible but incorrect data. CFOs must verify all outputs against trusted sources.
• Bias and Fairness – Prompts can inadvertently amplify data biases, affecting decisions on capital allocation or risk scoring.
• Regulatory Scrutiny – Financial reporting and compliance are heavily regulated; AI outputs must meet stringent audit standards.
• Skill Gaps – Not all finance professionals will become prompt engineers; organisations must balance specialised AI talent with general finance expertise.

Fortune recommends a “prompt hygiene” protocol: maintain version control, document rationale, and routinely revisit prompts as models evolve.

7. The Bottom Line

Fortune concludes that prompt writing is not a niche technical ability but a foundational skill for modern CFOs. As generative AI moves from being an add‑on to becoming the core engine of financial analysis, the CFO’s mandate shifts from “keeping the books” to “orchestrating AI‑driven insight.” The article urges finance leaders to start learning prompt engineering now, before the next wave of AI upgrades—much like how CFOs once transitioned from paper ledgers to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

For further reading, Fortune includes links to:

• “Prompt Engineering for Finance” – Deloitte’s webinar series on AI in finance.
• “AI in Finance Regulatory Guide” – European Banking Authority’s latest compliance framework.
• “CFO’s Guide to Generative AI” – McKinsey’s whitepaper outlining strategic frameworks for AI adoption.

The article’s overarching message is clear: the CFO who masters the art of prompt writing will not only harness AI’s potential but will also secure a decisive competitive edge in an increasingly data‑driven world.