Will AI really replace accountants in the next two years?

For any accountants who might be concerned about how their next few years will look, Microsoft’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, has some startling news for you.

He has made the bold claim that accountants will be entirely automated in the next two years.

Before you update your CVs and hit the job centre, it might be worth taking stock of the claim and seeing how likely this vision of the future is to come to pass.

Should accountants be worried about automation?

There is an ongoing discussion about the way that AI is changing the job market.

This conversation is being egged on by AI developers who seek to transform their vision of an entirely automated society into a reality.

However, it is not helpful for anyone if the merits of AI are overextended so that the truly innovative aspects of tools get lost in marketing white noise.

Accountants are highly skilled individuals who have honed their craft over many years.

It is not as simple as turning on a machine to displace them entirely, as there are advisory decisions that an AI would struggle to make and some work that would be challenging for it to complete.

Framing the conversation in this way also threatens to dissuade accountants and other professionals from accessing tools that will enable them to achieve a new level of productivity.

It is not helpful to frame conversations about AI as an us vs them dichotomy, when the real discussion should be centred on how automation can uplift the work of humans.

How will automation help accountants?

Instead of working to replace accountants, truly innovative AI will work to empower them to do more with their time.

Rather than fearing for job security, accountants should be relishing the opportunity to free up their time as tedious tasks get taken over by AI, leaving the experts to handle higher-value tasks.

If accountants want to discover how they can work in harmony with AI, they will need a solution that was specifically crafted to help them advance.

Generic solutions are certainly never going to replace human professionals, as they are plagued by inaccuracies and pose challenges for data protection.

Instead of the worry that you are battling against an inefficient system, Glasscubes AI Assist provides reassurance with security measures built in.

It can review spreadsheets, documents, even crumpled receipts, pulling data and insights into a secure space that can then be reviewed by your team.

Through the use of Glasscubes AI, you can optimise your workflows, save hundreds of hours on the mundane, and find that accounting becomes rewarding again.

AI is not going to replace accountants anytime soon, but the old way of working is no longer right for the modern world.

Book a demo to discover the true future of accounting work.