Currently, the news going around the accounting world is that accountants are no longer needed — that AI is going to replace them. Combine that with the fact that the number of people studying accounting and choosing to become a CPA is lower than ever, and you’d think the profession was on its way out.
I think there’s a lot of opportunity here. Where a lot of people are afraid, I see opportunity.
It’s easy to look at this and say AI is going to replace the accounting profession. But I disagree. I look at this no differently than when accounting software was created. You could’ve said the same thing then — if we have software, what’s the need for an accountant? And the answer was that the position was still needed. The role shifted, but the accountant was still necessary.
I look at AI the same way. AI is going to provide tools to help make the job easier. It’ll handle some of the mundane tasks that accounting is known for, and it’ll push accountants to think at a higher level — more analytical, more big picture. Coming up with process efficiencies and improvements. That’s what’s coming next for this profession.
There’s a lot I enjoy about being an accountant that I wish more people saw. Finance and banking get all the attention, but accounting right now is genuinely attractive to me. Every day I get to work with technology, develop new tools, and figure out what’s possible. That’s something I really enjoy.
Factor in the fact that fewer people are entering the profession — my value goes up even more.
So if you’re thinking about an accounting degree, I’d highly suggest you go for it. At least take a few classes and see if it’s for you. Don’t be turned away by what you hear about public accounting, work-life balance, or any of that. There are plenty of different roles you can play and plenty of things you can do with an accounting background.
The opportunity is there. Most people just aren’t looking at it that way.