APIs and AI in finance: Reinventing treasury operations

The evolution of treasury 

The treasury landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades. We’ve moved from an era of branch offices, paper-based transactions and disc exchange to a world of digital innovation. From net banking, mobile banking and host-to-host file solutions to embedded financial services via APIs, technology has continuously reshaped how businesses manage their finances.

A significant turning point was PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2), which required banks to open their systems via APIs. While this was initially mostly seen as a regulatory burden, it became a catalyst for innovation, enabling faster, more integrated financial services. Today, APIs and AI are at the heart of the next evolution: creating seamless, intuitive and personalised treasury experiences.

Imagine a world where finance is woven into the fabric of everyday business, where treasurers no longer need to chase data across systems but instead have real-time insights at their fingertips, and where AI assists in decision-making, risk management and forecasting. This is the future of treasury.

The power of AI in Treasury: Turning data into intelligence

While APIs provide connectivity and real-time access, AI enables analysis, automation and decision support. The challenge many treasury teams face today is not the lack of data but the overwhelming volume of it. AI helps treasurers make sense of the data and act on it proactively.

Some possible key AI use cases in Treasury:

1. Predictive cash flow forecasting

• AI analyses historical transaction patterns and external factors (e.g., interest rates, currency fluctuations) to predict future cash flows.
  Example: A treasurer no longer needs to manually consolidate data from multiple sources or rely on the vast experiences of key people. AI automatically detects trends and provides actionable forecasts.

2. Liquidity management and optimisation

• AI models optimise working capital by suggesting the best cash allocation across accounts.
  Example: AI can recommend short-term investments or alert treasurers to potential liquidity gaps before they occur. The system aggregates data from different sources (bank feeds, ERP systems, payment platforms, FX feeds, etc.) and presents it in a unified dashboard. 

3. Fraud detection and anomaly identification

• AI continuously monitors transactions and flags suspicious activity in real-time.
  Example: If an unusual payment is detected, the system can pause the transaction and request human verification.

4. AI-powered virtual treasury assistants

• Chatbots and AI assistants provide on-demand insights, answering questions such as:
  • What’s my projected cash balance next quarter?
  • Are there any anomalies in our payment flows?

This transforms the user experience, making treasury management more intuitive and accessible.

The synergy of APIs and AI: A new treasury paradigm

APIs and AI are not separate innovations. They are interdependent technologies that, when combined, create a smarter, more autonomous treasury function.

• APIs provide real-time data; AI turns that data into intelligence.
• AI makes recommendations; APIs execute actions seamlessly.

Some examples of possible API + AI use cases:

1. Real-time liquidity optimisation

• APIs feed real-time balance and payment data to AI models, which automatically adjust liquidity strategies

2. Automated cash flow forecasting

• AI analyses API-fed transaction data and external factors to predict future cash needs and optimise funding strategies.

3. Embedded fraud prevention

• AI detects anomalies in payment data before transactions are processed, reducing fraud risks.

The result? A more proactive, efficient and strategic treasury function.

The road ahead: What’s next for treasury?

As AI advances and API-based banking infrastructure expands, treasury will continue to evolve towards a real-time, autonomous and intelligent financial function.

Here are some of the use cases we forecast in the future:

End-to-end autonomous treasury management
AI-driven liquidity management, automated investment allocation and risk mitigation with minimal manual intervention.

AI-driven compliance & regulatory monitoring
AI ensures transactions and treasury operations remain aligned with evolving global regulations in real-time.

Embedded finance ecosystems
Treasury systems will integrate seamlessly with broader financial ecosystems, giving treasurers and CFOs more flexibility and control over their financial strategy.

What this means for treasurers today

While APIs and AI offer immense potential, the successful implementation of these technologies hinges on several key factors that treasury units need to consider:

• The maturity of ERP and treasury systems: How well can they handle and process real-time data?
• Data quality and security: How do businesses ensure data integrity while mitigating cybersecurity risks?
• Human oversight: AI is a powerful tool, but human judgment remains critical for decision-making.

The future of treasury is embedded, intelligent and intuitive

The role of treasury is shifting from a reactive function to a strategic enabler, driving business growth and risk management through data, automation and intelligence.

• APIs provide seamless financial connectivity. Treasurers gain real-time control.
• AI turns data into actionable insights. Treasurers make smarter, faster decisions.

Together, APIs and AI create a treasury function that is proactive, efficient and future-ready.

The next era of treasury is here and it’s powered by APIs and AI. How will your business leverage these innovations to stay ahead?

Visit the Nordea API Market to learn what our Premium APIs can do for your treasury operations, and start to plan for the changes that will  benefit your business.