AI in Accounts Payable: Buzzword or Game-Changer? How to Make It Work for You

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword for years. In fact, the term has been thrown around so often that it’s almost lost its meaning. Even Hollywood couldn’t resist — Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence hit theaters back in 2001. Fast forward to today, and AI is more than just a futuristic concept. It’s becoming a tangible, transformative force in our everyday lives and across industries, especially in the business world.

But if you were to stop someone on the street — or even in your office — and ask them to define AI or how it might be used within their organization, chances are, you’d get a different answer every time. That’s because AI means different things to different people, depending on their role, industry or even their exposure to the technology.

This discrepancy in definitions makes it essential for today’s business leaders to know what types of AI to avoid and what types to embrace.

AI that works with you — not instead of you

The remedy for overcoming back-office inefficiencies shouldn’t be replacing actual humans with AI or automation. More so, modern solutions shouldn’t be selected just because they “use AI” in trendy or impractical ways. Rather, the most effective approach is seeking solutions that can automate routine tasks while empowering your team to do what humans do best: Solve problems, think critically and deliver value.

Here at Esker, our approach is simple: empowering the Office of the CFO with AI-driven, human-led technology. These strategic AI tools — from Agentic AI and GenAI to machine learning, NLU and RAG — are designed to facilitate the growth and financial ambitions of the Office of the CFO while also maximizing useability, security and sustainability.  

Let’s explore how a business can benefit from this specific kind of AI solution within accounts payable (AP) processes.

What does AI in AP look like?

Imagine a world where incoming invoices don’t sit in an inbox, waiting for someone to manually enter them into your ERP system. An AI-powered AP solution takes care of that. Here’s how:

• Smart data capture: AI reads and extracts data from invoices with a high level of accuracy — regardless of format or layout.
• Automatic matching & validation: The solution cross-references invoice data with purchase orders or receipts to ensure accuracy before routing.
• Workflow automation: AI routes invoices to the appropriate people for review and approval based on pre-set rules.
• Real-time visibility: Dashboards and reporting tools give your team insight into invoice statuses, bottlenecks and performance metrics.
• Human oversight where it matters: When exceptions or anomalies pop up, your team is alerted, allowing them to focus their attention where it’s truly needed.

The result? Time savings & greater control

By leveraging AI, companies can reduce the manual, repetitive aspects of AP processing. But it doesn’t stop there — your team stays in control. The goal isn’t to replace people; it’s to free them up to focus on higher-value tasks like supplier relationships, strategic planning and exception handling.

It’s not just about efficiency — it’s about empowerment

Pursuing an “AI-driven, human-led” model allows companies to embrace AI as an enabler, not a replacement. The technology works behind the scenes to do the heavy lifting, while your people guide the process, make informed decisions and, ultimately, drive business success.

So, is AI just a buzzword? Not if you know how to use it — and not if you’re using it with a proven, experienced AI automation provider like Esker.