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How do accountants use AI in their work?

I am very interested in math an AI. My dad tells me I should consider accounting but I also am super obsessed with AI right now and wonder if that's something that is helping accountants right now

business finance accounting economics accountant financial-accounting
Thank you comment icon Hi Stephanie, AI has been making waves in the public accounting industry lately! For example, the firm I work at is developing their own in-house version of ChatGPT, which we use for accounting/tax/audit research, summarizing memos, and writing code. It is important to note that there are many restrictions over what we data we can load in to our generative AI tools due to the confidential nature of the data we handle, so a lot of our work has not been impacted by generative AI (yet)! Yasmine Lansari, CPA
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AnnMarie’s Answer

Hi Stephanie!

I am not an accountant, but I am an AI enthusiast! Industry is going through an AI revolution, and the applications for AI are changing rapidly. By the time you graduate college, there may be far more applications of AI in the accounting practice than there even are now. The same could be true for multiple other professions. Anecdotally, I often use AI in my work and personal life.

I do want to address something that you didn't ask, which is that your dad is encouraging accounting. Accounting is a great field that you might enjoy, but at the end of the day, you will spend a large portion of your life in your chosen field. And while you can re-choose, it's helpful to have a background to pivot on. You may want to consider taking an accounting course to see what you think, as well as an intro to computer science to see if potentially you're interested in developing AI in the future. And you can double major - it takes a lot of discipline, but it was worth it to me! I use both of my majors in my current career.
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Erin’s Answer

Hi! I have utilized AI in my tax accounting career in relation to research and automating some more manual entry tasks.

Research: The AI tool has been very useful in compiling data from several different sources and will even go so far as to site all the sources for me to delve in deeper.

Manual Entry: There are still many parts of this career that rely on simple data input and AI has helped automate this process. For example, coding different accounts for our softwares and reading documents to populate workpapers. We anticipate AI to at some point be able to do a majority of our compliance work when prepping a tax return.

AI at the moment still is buggy and not 100% accurate so there is definitely still progress to be made but we are starting to incorporate it and adding to its usefulness!
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Valeriia’s Answer

AI has space in accounting! From my experience in public accounting working at Deloitte, Artificial Intelligence is used in the accounting and auditing services to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and the overall value of its services. Here are some examples of how AI is specifically applied in the accounting domain at Deloitte:

- Document Parsing: Classifying financial statement content for benchmarking and streamlined analysis.
- Smart Matching: Cross-referencing numerical data automatically for efficient financial statement tie-outs.
- Document Intelligence: Extracting relevant text from documents accelerates analysis and understanding.
- Business-Specific Pattern Detection: This informs risk assessments, enhancing the auditor’s ability to identify potential areas of concern early in the audit process.
- Automatic First-Pass Reviews: AI tools perform preliminary reviews of documentation, thus increasing efficiency and allowing auditors to focus on more complex tasks.
- Operational Excellence and Strategic Tasks: AI applications, such as virtual finance analysts, help drive operational excellence. These tools aid in delivering vital operational tasks faster and more efficiently and respond to ad hoc reporting requests, thereby supporting strategic decision-making.
- Customizable AI Capabilities: Generative AI serves as a powerful tool for finance leaders to address key agenda items and realize strategic priorities and objectives. This includes everything from routine transaction processing to more complex predictive analytics.
- Ethical AI Use: Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI™ Framework is designed to help organizations implement AI responsibly. This framework aids in identifying and advising on risks and controls related to AI, ensuring that AI adoption in accounting adheres to ethical standards and mitigates potential risks.
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Humberto’s Answer

AI can aggregate and synthesize information to support audit decisions. For complex topics, AI tools can provide data-driven insights and recommendations, helping them to make informed judgments about issues that require deep technical knowledge and expertise.
As accounting standards evolve, AI systems can continuously learn from new data and updates, adapting to changes without requiring manual reprogramming. This ensures that accountants have the most current and relevant information at their fingertips when researching complex topics.
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Stefanie’s Answer

Hi Stephanie - Great question! AI has a lot of different and impactful ways that can be utilized in the field of accounting -

Automating data entry: AI can be used to extract and input financial data into accounting systems, reducing the need for manual data entry and minimizing errors.

Fraud detection: AI algorithms can analyze large volumes of financial data to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activities.

Predictive analytics: AI can analyze historical financial data to make predictions and forecasts, helping accountants in budgeting, financial planning, and decision-making.

Audit support: AI can assist auditors by analyzing financial records, identifying potential risks, and providing insights for more efficient and effective audits.

Natural language processing: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can help accountants with routine inquiries, providing quick answers to common questions and freeing up time for more complex tasks.

I hope this helps provide some examples of how AI can be used in accounting!

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May’s Answer

We use it as our handy helper to understand complicated Accounting system code reviews and guides. AI serves as our first line of review for these documents too. It's like having a friendly assistant to make sense of all the complex stuff!
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Jennifer’s Answer

I am currently an Audit Senior at Deloitte and the firm has implemented AI in a few ways to help in our auditing procedures. One thing they have implemented is essentially a Chat GPT function for accounting research and guidance. You can type in your specific question and it will generate what guidance is applicable so you don't have to search through all the various guidance yourself. In addition, we have implemented AI within our working paper files that help identify certain testing characteristics or information used in testing to ensure all considerations are properly documented. There are specific groups at Deloitte (as I am sure there are at other accounting firms as well) that hire people to design AI technology to support audits, which may be something to consider given your interest in AI. Hope this is helpful!
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Camille’s Answer

Hi Stephanie,

Accountants use AI in their work to make things easier and more accurate. Here are some ways they use it:

Doing repetitive tasks: AI can do things like entering data or checking invoices, so accountants can focus on more important work.

Finding patterns and mistakes: AI can look at lots of financial information quickly and find things that don't look right. This helps accountants catch errors or fraud.

Predicting the future: AI can use past data to guess what might happen in the future. Accountants can use this to plan budgets or make smart decisions.

Following rules: AI can make sure accountants are following all the rules and laws. It can check transactions and make sure everything is okay.

Helping people: AI can be like a virtual assistant, answering questions and giving information. This makes things faster and easier for accountants and their clients.

If you're interested in accounting, it's good to learn about AI and how it's used in the field. You can find resources online or try to get some hands-on experience through internships or job shadowing.

Hope this helps!
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Damion’s Answer

Hi Stephanie,

AI is all the talk across every industry and accounting is no different. We have started to embrace AI and before that automations which lead into AI in many of the larger accounting firms and larger corporations. Automations have saved countless hours doing away with simple data entry and repetitive tasks by and large thus improving profits margins on many jobs.
AI is making consulting work as well as auditing work more efficient as well as in the tax industry when trying to convey discussions in simpler terms.
Technology and accounting go hand in hand and will continue well into the foreseeable future.
Thank you comment icon I appreciate this, thank you for the advice. Stephanie
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Giacomo’s Answer

Surely AI help more other fields
Accounting is so simple
AI can assist You to compile
🙁
There s something similar and more interesting
Data analysis or even better data science
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James Constantine’s Answer

Hello Stephanie,

How Accountants Use AI in Their Work

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted the field of accounting, revolutionizing the way accountants work and enhancing their efficiency and accuracy. Here are some key ways in which accountants utilize AI in their work:

1. Automation of Repetitive Tasks: One of the primary ways AI is used in accounting is through automating repetitive tasks such as data entry, transaction categorization, and reconciliation. AI-powered software can extract data from various sources, process it, and update financial records without human intervention, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.

2. Data Analysis and Insights: AI tools can analyze vast amounts of financial data quickly and accurately, providing valuable insights to accountants. By using machine learning algorithms, accountants can identify trends, anomalies, and potential risks in financial data that may not be apparent through traditional analysis methods.

3. Fraud Detection: AI technology is increasingly being employed by accountants to detect fraudulent activities within financial transactions. Machine learning algorithms can flag suspicious patterns or anomalies in financial data, helping accountants prevent fraud before it causes significant harm to a company.

4. Predictive Analytics: Accountants are leveraging AI for predictive analytics to forecast future financial trends and outcomes based on historical data. By using predictive models powered by AI, accountants can make more informed decisions and strategic recommendations to help organizations achieve their financial goals.

5. Enhanced Client Services: AI tools enable accountants to offer more personalized and proactive services to their clients. By utilizing AI-driven insights, accountants can provide tailored financial advice, optimize tax planning strategies, and improve overall client satisfaction.

6. Compliance and Regulatory Reporting: AI helps accountants stay compliant with ever-changing regulations by automating compliance checks and ensuring accurate regulatory reporting. This reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties and streamlines the auditing process.

In conclusion, AI has become an indispensable tool for modern accountants, enabling them to work more efficiently, make better-informed decisions, enhance fraud detection capabilities, and deliver superior services to clients.

Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:

Harvard Business Review: Provides insights into how AI is transforming various industries including accounting.
Deloitte: Offers research reports on the impact of AI on finance and accounting practices.
Journal of Accountancy: Publishes articles on the integration of AI technologies in accounting processes.

These sources were instrumental in providing reliable information on how accountants utilize AI in their work.

Arthur was my Dad's accountant. He used to live at my Dad's liqueur factory because he worked over 100 hours a week. He was a major factor in the success of my father's business. He would have loved AI. Twice the work in half the time.

GOD BLESS!
James Constantine Frangos.
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Lauren’s Answer

In light of the decrease in students graduating with accounting majors, the accounting field is embracing AI! We are currently using AI to identify trends and anomalies in journal entry data
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Lauren’s Answer

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of accounting is growing at a swift pace. The top four accounting firms are harnessing the power of AI to improve their work processes, leading to significant changes in the industry. As this is a field that is still ripe with research and development opportunities, considering a career in either accounting or AI development within an accounting firm could be a beneficial move.
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