When you hear the words ‘artificial intelligence’, the first thing you think of is probably one of the many examples of computers and machines built to think, work and react like a human being in the movies. But AI is certainly no longer a fantasy restricted to the world of science fiction, with its application being explored in countless areas of real life, including accountancy. We might not be talking about a replicant from Blade Runner or The Terminator’s T-800 doing your tax return just yet, but it’s certainly worth considering the benefits and drawbacks of AI’s increasing application in an accountancy role.
Finance departments have seen automation increasingly become the norm in what they do, a move which has in many ways revolutionised their capabilities. However, this has so far always depended on fixed instructions being programmed into a computer tool at the start. AI allows computerised accountancy to take the next step through developing tools with learning and problem-solving capabilities.
Of course, advancing technology in this way means that roles performed by human beings twenty years ago are now being carried out by machines. Whilst there’s a temptation to adopt a Luddite mindset towards such developments, a far better approach is to embrace the inevitable, unstoppable creep of technology into the world of work and consider how you and your accountant can make yourself a part of it.
Whilst the numerical calculations and analysis inherent to the world of accountancy might be ideally suited to an intelligent computer, the reasoning and intuition a person brings to the role are unable to be replicated by AI. It’s in these areas that human accountants continue to bring value, shifting their role increasingly away from ‘number crunching’ and towards a business partnership. An experienced accountant should be able to take the work done by machines, translate it into meaningful commercial insight and, perhaps most importantly, add a human touch – something which a machine simply wouldn’t be able to provide.
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How will AI change your interactions with your accountant?
How will AI change your interactions with your accountant?
November 9th, 2017• Comments Off on How will AI change your interactions with your accountant?• Posted By Greenwood
When you hear the words ‘artificial intelligence’, the first thing you think of is probably one of the many examples of computers and machines built to think, work and react like a human being in the movies. But AI is certainly no longer a fantasy restricted to the world of science fiction, with its application being explored in countless areas of real life, including accountancy. We might not be talking about a replicant from Blade Runner or The Terminator’s T-800 doing your tax return just yet, but it’s certainly worth considering the benefits and drawbacks of AI’s increasing application in an accountancy role.
Finance departments have seen automation increasingly become the norm in what they do, a move which has in many ways revolutionised their capabilities. However, this has so far always depended on fixed instructions being programmed into a computer tool at the start. AI allows computerised accountancy to take the next step through developing tools with learning and problem-solving capabilities.
Of course, advancing technology in this way means that roles performed by human beings twenty years ago are now being carried out by machines. Whilst there’s a temptation to adopt a Luddite mindset towards such developments, a far better approach is to embrace the inevitable, unstoppable creep of technology into the world of work and consider how you and your accountant can make yourself a part of it.
Whilst the numerical calculations and analysis inherent to the world of accountancy might be ideally suited to an intelligent computer, the reasoning and intuition a person brings to the role are unable to be replicated by AI. It’s in these areas that human accountants continue to bring value, shifting their role increasingly away from ‘number crunching’ and towards a business partnership. An experienced accountant should be able to take the work done by machines, translate it into meaningful commercial insight and, perhaps most importantly, add a human touch – something which a machine simply wouldn’t be able to provide.