OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said AI tool competency—specifically tools like Codex—is becoming a baseline requirement in finance hiring. Speaking at the Liquidity Summit 2026, Friar argued hiring standards are changing alongside AI adoption, saying she would not hire a finance professional who cannot use widely used tools such as Excel and, increasingly, AI coding tools. The comments come as OpenAI reports growing usage of Codex among knowledge workers, alongside broader survey findings that AI and automation skills rank as the top priority for developing and sourcing finance talent. Friar also emphasized ongoing compute constraints that could continue to shape AI product scaling into 2026. For finance programs, career services, and employers that partner with higher education, the message is direct: AI literacy is moving from “nice-to-have” to explicit hiring criteria.