Somewhere at your firm right now, someone is probably using AI for something you haven’t approved, reviewed, or even heard about. That tends to happen when a technology advances faster than a firm’s ability to make decisions about it.
And it leaves accountants all over the map when it comes to how they’re thinking about and embracing AI. According to the AICPA & CIMA Technology, Productivity & Skills Survey, 88% percent of finance leaders expect AI to reshape accounting within two years, but only 8% feel well-prepared to actually use it.
That’s where our latest ebook, The AI Handbook for Accounting Firms, comes in. It covers everything from getting started with AI to building team buy-in. Here are a few of our top takeaways from this free, downloadable guide.
Standing Still Is the Real Risk
Jason Staats, founder of the Jason on Firms Podcast and accounting firm alliance Realize, put it bluntly on a recent webinar: “People are feeling all the emotions about AI—simultaneously skeptical and excited and nervous, but also feeling like, ‘Can somebody just tell me what to do?'”
The instinct to wait for clarity is understandable, but there’s no reward for waiting until AI feels perfect or fully sanctioned. The real risk is staying still long enough that your team starts making these decisions without you, one unapproved app at a time. Believe it or not, the IRS actually made this easier to navigate this year; its Office of Professional Responsibility released its first formal guidance on AI in tax practice, which lays out common-sense expectations around accuracy and security.
Start With One Small Win
The instinct to treat AI adoption like a firm-wide initiative, complete with a committee and a timeline, is natural. But it will keep you stuck at the “we should really look into this” stage, while your competitors leave you behind. Solo and small firm owners in particular tend to assume that to truly integrate AI into your practice, you need to be a much bigger team with a robust IT department. But the firms actually gaining ground are starting with one recurring, annoying task and a general AI tool, and then building outward from there. What’s one dreaded item on your to-do list? Maybe it’s drafting a client email, taking notes in a meeting, summarizing a long document, or untangling your calendar. Begin there and build your comfort with AI over time.
Take Security Seriously
When accountants are asked what worries them most about AI, the number one answer is client data leaving their environment, which ranks far ahead of concerns about ungoverned staff usage or unclear policy. It’s a legitimate concern, since every free consumer AI plan will train its model on whatever you paste into it, including client financials. The solution? Only use business-tier tools with a real data agreement, and give your team a secure way to do what they’re already going to do anyway, rather than pretending that banning ChatGPT from office computers will stop them.
Three Things You Can Try This Week
You don’t need to wait for a comprehensive AI policy to get moving. Try these first:
- Pick one time-consuming task, like drafting client emails or summarizing a long document, and test a general AI tool on it this week.
- Ask your team what tools they’re already using that aren’t officially approved. Use this information to guide your direction going forward. Consider involving your AI early adopters in any decision-making.
- Check whether the AI tools already in use at your firm are on a business plan with a real data agreement, not a free consumer tier that trains on your prompts.
Get the Full Handbook
The AI Handbook for Accounting Firms goes deeper into all things AI, including a 90-day starting plan, a side-by-side comparison of the major AI tools accountants are actually using, a five-point security checklist, and a ready-to-use AI governance worksheet you can adapt for your own firm. Download it for free today.
