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AI Won’t Replace CPAs BUT It’ll Change How We Deliver Our Services

AI is being embedded in CPA services, it’s not just “drafting memos”. These AI solutions will reshape the way CPAs work.

  1. KPMG’s $2B AI and cloud services investment tied to Microsoft includes incorporating AI into core audit, tax, and advisory services.
  2. Deloitte announced new AI capabilities within Omnia, its global audit and assurance platform.
  3. EY launched EY.ai following a stated US$1.4B investment to unify AI across service lines.

In an effort to better understand this change, I had a conversation with a CPA professional, Dan Carli, CPA, CMA, MBA. Dan has an accounting practice in southern Ontario with a range of clients from farming to software development.

This interview was conducted on Jan 6, 2025; edited for length and clarity; interviewee reviewed quotes for accuracy. Please note this is commentary and not audit or tax advise.

Andrew A. Ross:

You’ve been in public practice a long time. Everyone’s saying AI will “transform accounting.” Do you buy it?

Dan Carli, CPA:

I think it will change how we work, sure; I see and read about this everyday. Audit and Assurance is still about providing an opinion bounded by standards and Tax is still tax compliance and advisory.

Look at what the regulator is seeing right now: the PCAOB’s 2024 staff spotlight says GenAI integration in audits is “in its early stages” and appears “focused primarily on administrative and research activities.”

That’s not “reinventing audit.” That’s changing the way the service is delivered.

Andrew A. Ross:

But firms are developing AI solutions—doesn’t that inevitably spill into the core engagement work?

Dan Carli:

Experimenting is not the same as transforming service delivery.

Among CPA decision-makers, the Journal of Accountancy reported that only 6% had implemented GenAI in one or more business functions (as of late 2024), while many were still experimenting—and a sizable share still lacked basic security policies and protocols.

Adoption has been uneven and policy-constrained, with many organizations still moving cautiously. The adoption curve matters because public accounting isn’t a “move fast and break things” industry.

On the tax side, Thomson Reuters Institute’s 2024 survey found few firms are using GenAI systematically today, and only 10% reported GenAI use organization-wide; training is also sparse (14% said their organization had provided GenAI training). Additionally, Intuit announced a multi-year strategic partnership with OpenAI, including Intuit app experiences in ChatGPT and deeper use of OpenAI models.

If AI were already “rewriting the profession,” those numbers would look very different. Don’t get me wrong, the pace of change is going to be nothing like we have ever experienced, however I expect to see tangible solutions emerge in 2026.

I expect each firm will develop some basic policies for the use of AI solutions:

  1. Rules and guidelines for the use of client data
  2. AI interaction retention and source traceability
  3. Strict workflow review and approval steps (due diligence maintained)
  4. AI error detection and handling (i.e. hallucinations)

Andrew A. Ross:

Do you think AI will significantly change the services provided?

Dan Carli:

No, the reality is CPAs build relationships with clients that lead to trust, reliability and judgment, not text generation. These relationships will help us guide our clients to embrace the changes that AI is pioneering.

Even the PCAOB outreach notes that some firms currently limit GenAI use in audits due to privacy and other risks, and some do not allow GenAI to be used when performing audit or attest procedures because of data privacy and reliability concerns.

And the PCAOB emphasizes that the engagement team member remains responsible for work produced with GenAI assistance, with supervisors expected to apply the same diligence in review. No firm wants to be in the news for falsely relying on AI agents that produced incorrect information.

AI can change the way the work is performed, increase the level of due diligence and the speed of execution. But a CPA still owns the conclusion and that’s the product clients are paying for.

Andrew A. Ross:

Critics would say: “Sure, humans are accountable, but AI will still reshape the scope and pricing of work.”

Dan Carli:

It may reshape effort, but not necessarily scope. In fact, CPAs might increase the scope of the audit due to AI enablement. While initially the fees might have a small discount, I do not expect the fees to change dramatically as there still has to be someone managing the AI tools and the information; so, some costs will shift.

Tax & accounting firms have historically adopted tech more slowly than other industries, (per Thomson Reuters).

AI will have an immediate impact and gradually improve how we deliver the work while the work products remain the same. What I do expect to see is how AI will benefit the smaller practitioners and allow them “to do more work with less staff.”

Andrew A. Ross:

Can you foresee a situation where the demand for CPAs’ services will diminish?

Dan Carli:

One imperfect but telling indicator is the US labor market demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5% employment growth for accountants and auditors from 2024 to 2034, with about 124,200 openings per year on average.

That projection explicitly ties demand to a complex tax/regulatory environment and ongoing need to prepare and examine financial records.

AI may compress hours in certain areas, but the need for independent assurance and defensible tax positions doesn’t vanish.

In fact, I expect to see smaller firms hiring more staff as they expand their services and become more competitive with larger firms on some services.

Andrew A. Ross:

How will you plan to utilize AI in your practice?

Dan Carli:

I plan to utilize AI to increase the efficiency of delivery of low-risk work (bookkeeping, research, first drafts, internal documentation). I expect to reduce time on routine prep and shift my time to more review time, client communication, and validation and analysis.

Because of concerns with AI hallucinations, AI bias, and traceability, I would expect more of my time to shift to validation and analysis on AI managed tasks. The AI tools that I am looking at all provide strong controls, clear audit trail, and strong governance.

Editorial Opinion: What This Means for the Future of CPA Services

The discussion above reflects what we are seeing consistently across the profession. Generative AI is not changing the nature of CPA services, but it is beginning to change how those services are delivered.

Adoption remains cautious, particularly in regulated work where accountability, traceability, and professional judgment are central. That caution should not be mistaken for resistance to change. In a profession governed by standards and oversight, it is appropriate that new technologies are evaluated carefully and applied deliberately.

At the same time, the productivity gains emerging in adjacent workflows are real. Bookkeeping automation, document analysis, research, and tax preparation are already being affected. These changes are not theoretical; they are influencing engagement economics, staffing models, and turnaround times, even where the underlying service offerings remain unchanged.

In our view, the next phase of AI adoption in accounting will not be driven by generic software or isolated test cases. It will be driven by practical autonomous AI solutions that are designed for professional use. These solutions will have governance, data controls, review processes, and clear audit trails as a fundamental building block in their core architecture rather than add on functionality.

As Autonomous AI becomes more embedded in day-to-day accounting activities, the differentiator will not be whether Autonomous AI is used, but whether firms can use it with confidence. That confidence comes from understanding how outputs are generated, maintaining appropriate human oversight, and ensuring that professional standards are upheld at every stage of the engagement.

The firms that benefit most from Autonomous AI will be those that embrace the change early, apply it thoughtfully, and focus on application to improve delivery, expand capacity, and support professional judgment without compromising the trust that underpins the CPA profession.

This Editorial Opinion reflects the perspective of the Auciera team based on ongoing conversations with accounting professionals and regulators.

Interesting facts:

  1. Thomson Reuters Institute reports that while systematic rollout is limited today, planning is substantial: 40% say their firms are planning or considering GenAI use, and 44% plan to use proprietary tax-specific GenAI tools within three years (even if only 9% use them today).
  2. CPA.com’s 2025 AI in Accounting report cites “key indicators” including some firms reporting over 80% automation of individual return preparation and LLM tools reducing document analysis time by 50% or more.
  3. The Financial Times reported PwC stepped away from a major headcount growth target, with leadership citing productivity gains from AI tools and large-scale upskilling.
  4. IFAC describes AI as already reshaping the audit profession and convened a multi-stakeholder roundtable on how AI will change audit delivery and methodology.

Participants:

Andrew A. Ross, CPA, CMA
Andrew Ross is the CEO and co-founder of Auciera. He is a CPA with experience in accounting, technology, and advisory services, and focuses on how system design, data architecture, and automation can improve the delivery of professional accounting work.

Dan Carli, CPA, CMA, MBA
Dan Carli is a CPA in public practice in Southern Ontario with extensive experience in audit, tax, and advisory services and a co-founder of Auciera. His work emphasizes professional standards, risk management, and the practical application of technology within regulated accounting environments.

References:

Deloitte. (2025, July 15). Deloitte expands its global suite of GenAI and agentic AI capabilities in Omnia, advancing the audit experience.

EY. (2023, September 13). EY announces launch of artificial intelligence platform EY.ai following US$1.4b investment.

Intuit. (2025, November 18). Intuit and OpenAI join forces to revolutionize financial intelligence…

OpenAI. (2025, November 18). Intuit partnership.

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). (2024, July). Spotlight: Staff update on outreach activities related to the integration of generative artificial intelligence in audits and financial reporting.

Reuters. (2023, July 11). KPMG to invest $2 billion in AI, cloud services (republished).

Reuters. (2025, November 18). Intuit strikes $100 million deal to integrate OpenAI models into financial tools.

Thomson Reuters Institute. (2024). Generative AI in tax firms 2024.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Accountants and auditors: Occupational outlook handbook.

Journal of Accountancy. (2024, March 28). Organizations moving forward with generative AI despite concerns, survey shows.

CPA.com. (2025). CPA.com 2025 AI in Accounting report.

KPMG. (2023, July 11). KPMG and Microsoft enter landmark agreement to put AI at the forefront of professional services.