Artificial intelligence (AI) tools in accounting are going mainstream, according to a survey by Moss Adams, one of the largest accounting, consulting and wealth management firms in the nation. The study reveals a large majority of accountants believe the technology will enhance rather than eliminate jobs and benefit the profession overall, driving productivity and business growth.
“AI is here, and accountants are actively embracing the technology,” said Bill Armstrong, chief innovation officer of Moss Adams. The survey of corporate tax and auditing professionals, conducted by OnePoll, revealed 83 percent of respondents are aware of AI in their workplace, and 79 percent of those say it’s beneficial to have AI assist them with their job.
“Although concerns about ethics and job replacement persist, a majority of the participants trust AI in both professional and non-professional contexts and appreciate its potential to improve employee satisfaction by providing new opportunities for learning and growth,” Armstrong said.
In addition to revealing the prominence of AI among accountants in the workplace, the survey shed light on how the technology has been adopted.
Of the respondents who encountered AI at work:
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44% said the technology was mandated by their employer
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40% said AI usage was a combination of company policy and personal preference
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14% said integrating AI into workflows was purely personal preference
Similarly, respondents reported interacting with AI through:
- Work devices: 50%
- Apps and tools: 43%
- AI models like ChatGPT: 50%
This suggests AI is in use in the workplace partly due to corporate sponsorship and partly users adopting the technology on their own.
“The general perspective is AI will function as an augmentation technology, freeing up time for the critical-thinking tasks that empower employees and drive innovation and progress,” Armstrong said. “There are aspects of the job, however, that can’t be substituted by AI….
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