The truth about AI in asset finance

As asset finance organisations look for ways to improve and safeguard their operations, automation and AI have become buzz-worthy topics. Together, they promise faster decisions, smarter processes, and leaner operations. But there’s a problem: too many companies are either chasing AI without a clear plan or avoiding it altogether due to misconceptions and budget anxiety.

AI will revolutionise asset finance, and that revolution will start as a series of incremental wins. How can business leaders ensure their organisations are ready?  

It’s not about eliminating jobs

One of the biggest concerns about AI is that it’s a path to mass automation and job reduction. But AI’s real value isn’t in eliminating people. It’s about maximising their value.

AI can help standardise repetitive tasks, extract data from documents, and predict patterns in customer behaviour. That creates space for your people to focus on more nuanced processes and important tasks like developing products and navigating complex deals. 

In this regard, it helps to think of AI not as a cost-cutting tool but as an enabler for growth. When used well, automation and AI strengthen both sides of the financial equation: improving margins through efficiency while fuelling revenue through better customer engagement. 

Once asset finance organisations have a better grasp on AI tools and how to use them, they will look very different. Their growth won’t necessarily be restricted by operational capacity, and humans will be valued for what they do best: building relationships.

Think big, start small

Another misconception? AI requires massive investment to get started.

Some of the most impactful applications for asset finance professionals begin at the individual or team level. Many people are already using AI in their day to day by automatically drafting emails, summarising meetings, and writing code. These aren’t flashy use cases, but they’re real, and they save real time.

At the organisational level, the most successful initiatives follow a similar pattern: small, focused experiments that deliver value fast – or fail fast. Maybe it’s using AI to improve credit decisioning in vendor finance or deploying a bot to create project task lists from meeting transcripts. The point is to start with manageable projects, evaluate the impact, and expand from there.

Big changes don’t have to start big. 

From creating efficiency to creating advantage

Beyond serving as an internal tool, AI is also a customer experience opportunity. Whether it’s bundling services into flexible contracts, predicting future maintenance needs, or simplifying approval processes, automation and AI can help make the financing journey smoother and more intuitive. For customers, that means less paperwork, faster turnaround, and a more responsive service (without needing to make a dreaded phone call). For finance providers, it means better data, better decisions, and a more compelling value proposition.

That said, in asset finance, the human element still matters – a lot.

Complex transactions, nuanced vendor relationships, and evolving regulatory environments all require judgment and flexibility. The goal is to support humans, not replace them. Automation and AI should handle the flow, and your people should handle the complexity.

In practice, that means designing systems where automation enhances rather than overrides human decision-making. It also means investing in training and cultural change to help teams adopt new tools, workflows, and ways of thinking.

That’s what makes the use of AI in asset finance so uniquely challenging and uniquely valuable. This is a profession built on precision, expertise, risk assessment, and long-term value creation. Introducing AI into that mix isn’t about speed for speed’s sake. It’s about using better tools to make better decisions, to serve customers with greater agility, and to unlock new models of growth in a rapidly changing market. 

The companies that succeed won’t be the ones that automate the fastest. They’ll be the ones that integrate AI deliberately while anchored in a deep understanding of the business they’re in and the future they want to build.

Many of these insights were discussed in detail during Odessa’s “Future Trends in Asset Finance” panel. Watch the full conversation here.