Thanks to PrimeGlobal for originally publishing this article as a follow-up to my speaking at their MegaWeek event this year.
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming for accounting. It’s already here. And that’s not bad news. In fact, it’s the biggest opportunity our profession has seen in decades.
Instead of worrying about how AI is going to replace us, think about how it’s going to reveal us. How it will amplify what makes us human, like our judgment, creativity and empathy.
The new partnership: firms + AI
The real shift happened when AI started talking back. We don’t have to be developers or data scientists to use it anymore. We just have to ask better questions.
AI has become a thought partner. It helps you think strategically, spot patterns and challenge your own assumptions.
Instead of asking, ‘How can AI do my work faster?’ the better question is, ‘How can AI help me show up as a better advisor, leader or teammate?’
And, yes, AI can coach you, too. Upload a transcript of a client meeting, and it will give you feedback on your tone, empathy and effectiveness. It’ll show you where you gave up power, where you avoided conflict or when you nailed it.
Soft skills are no longer invisible - they’re measurable.
Becoming AI-first, human-always
The firms that will stay relevant in 2030 are the ones that master both sides of the partnership. They will use AI to make humans more human.
That’s being AI-First, Human-Always.
Every firm is sitting on gold in the form of unstructured data like meeting notes, emails and client conversations. Each of these moments hold insights into how people think, decide and connect. AI can mine that data and feed it back as coaching for your team. It helps everyone learn to “show up” better.
Imagine multiplying your best relationship partner across the entire firm. That’s empathy at scale. And that’s the future!
Value pricing in the age of AI
AI is the missing link between data and value. It gives firms visibility into what truly drives outcomes, which allows us to finally move away from the illusion of time-based billing.
Timesheets have never been accurate. Humans estimate, round and forget.
But with AI-powered time-intelligence tools, we finally have real data about how time and effort are actually spent. And once the data’s real, the business model can finally change.
When AI completes a task in seconds instead of hours, you can’t bill by time anymore. You have to bill by outcome. The question shifts from ‘How long did it take?’ to ‘What was it worth?’
AI can now help you quantify that value. It can measure advisory quality, empathy and relationship strength. Maybe one partner’s “realization rate” looks low on paper, but their client relationship score is off the charts. That’s data you can price on.
AI-driven insights finally give firms the proof and confidence to price around results, not hours. Relationship quality, proactive guidance and measurable outcomes become the new value metrics.
Radical pricing in practice
You don’t have to blow up your pricing overnight. Start small.
Start with data. Use AI to analyze past projects and find where your firm consistently delivers high value relative to time spent.
Pilot one service. Pick something like cash-flow forecasting or pricing strategy, something with visible results. Then price by impact.
Use AI for feedback. Upload client conversations or deliverables into AI to gauge tone, confidence and alignment. It’ll show value beyond deliverables.
Measure and iterate. Track satisfaction and results. Adjust, repeat, refine.
Within months, many firms find their realization rates increase. And it’s not because they’re billing more hours, but because they’re charging for results that matter.
From fear to future-readiness
The hardest part of AI isn’t the tech, it’s the mindset.
Stop fearing what AI might take away and start seeing what it can give back in terms of time, clarity and confidence. Used right, AI doesn’t erase our humanity. It enhances it. It turns intuition into insight, conversations into data and expertise into real outcomes clients will pay for.
So no, AI won’t replace CPAs. But firms that use AI to think bigger, connect deeper and price smarter will absolutely replace those who don’t.
Learn it. Prove it. Lead it.
My new XcelLabs course with K1x shows how to automate real K-1 workflows and use those results to win firmwide support for AI.
You won’t just hear about AI — you’ll use it. Through short videos and hands-on exercises, you’ll see exactly how automation solutions like K1x change what’s possible.
