Will Financial Modeling in Excel Be Dead Soon?

Before all the Excel lovers start shouting, let me ask you a question: what if the debate over AI's ability to build a financial model is completely missing the point?

I’ve spent over a decade in financial modeling. I love the craft. So when the world started buzzing about AI, the immediate question was, "Can AI do my job?" And the answer, for now, is no. AI is still remarkably bad at building a complex, nuanced financial model from scratch. So my job is safe, right?

Maybe not. I started asking a more fundamental question, one that gets lost in the noise of AI-powered features and functions: why do we even build these models in the first place?

Think about it. Why does a CFO need an NPV and IRR? To decide between two projects. Why does a founder need a valuation? To know what a piece of their business is worth. Why does an investor project future cash flows? To underwrite a deal.