India, July 8 -- For decades, finance automation has promised faster closes and fewer errors. But AI is now doing something fundamentally different: taking independent action, explaining its logic, and flagging risks before they occur. In this exclusive exchange with Minu Sirsalewala, Executive Editor, Dataquest, Jeremy Ung, CTO at BlackLine, outlines what separates automation from intelligence-and why the CFO's relevance now hinges on how well they can partner with AI, not just monitor it.

We've moved from "AI that flags issues" to "AI that manages outcomes." These are no longer static tools-they're agents operating within workflows. They reconcile, assess risks, and identify compliance gaps before they're visible to humans.

This shift...