A survey by CPA Australia has revealed shifting talent demands in accounting and finance sectors in the Chinese Mainland due to the surge in AI adoption. 

The 2025 Business Technology survey indicates that technology such as AI, data analytics and visualisation tools, and cybersecurity software are now the most used among businesses in Chinese Mainland.  

CPA Australia said the rapid development of AI is transforming the skillsets required of accounting and finance professionals and organisations are also placing increased emphasis on achieving stronger returns on investment (ROI) from their AI initiatives. 

Over the past twelve months, 92% of surveyed companies reported using AI tools like DeepSeek, compared to 72% the previous year. 

In the latest results, 21% of respondents said their organisations widely deploy AI—combining third-party software, custom tools and internal developments.  

This is up from 9% a year earlier and is the highest rate across all nine Asia-Pacific markets examined. 

Third-party AI software was primarily used by 30% of firms in multiple areas, while 40% made occasional use of free or standard AI solutions. 

Looking ahead, 65% of participants expect to further increase their organisation’s use of AI in the next twelve months, a rise of 17 percentage points from last year. 

The survey found that 32% of respondents saw fewer hires for entry-level accounting and finance jobs in the last year, as more routine work is carried out by AI.  

At the same time, 18% of organisations have focused on hiring staff with skills related to AI within finance and accounting functions. 

Data for the survey was collected from 1,117 accounting and finance professionals working in various industries across nine Asia-Pacific markets between July and September 2025.  

There were 244 responses from Chinese Mainland.  

Despite positive feedback on technology improving efficiency, about two-fifths remain concerned about low returns on investment.

These concerns are particularly notable among SMEs that encounter more constraints related to resources and technical knowledge. 

In Chinese Mainland, 74% reported regular use of cybersecurity software over the past year.

Among those surveyed, 35% said their organisation has fully incorporated cybersecurity into its strategies and operations—higher than the overall survey average of 28%. 

CPA Australia East and Central China Committee president Collin Jin said: “The survey results shows that the usage of AI in businesses has accelerated significantly across Asia-Pacific over the past two years, and its popularity is set to grow further. 
 
“In the Chinese Mainland, companies are becoming sophisticated in integrating technologies such as AI into their business models and applying them across a wide range of scenarios to drive innovation.”