While at the heart of accounting are numbers, math and formulas, it’s the humans and their hard-earned expertise who bring those numbers to life to guide and advise clients with precision and care. When firms combine that expertise with the speed and efficiency of AI...well, that’s where the real magic happens.
But leveraging AI is about more than just automating repetitive, manual tasks. It’s about unlocking capacity for deeper human connection, insight, and client impact. It’s about using AI as a strategic partner to deliver empathy and understanding, not just services.
It’s also important to note that AI isn’t a “later” decision; it’s here and working in firms across the country…the world. In fact, it’s already woven into the fabric of leading firms, changing how accountants operate, deliver advice and scale empathy across their entire client base.
At ADP’s Accountant Connect AI Forum, I sat down with Vice President Heather Sperduto to dig deeper into AI’s role in the accounting profession. My core stance being that the profession needs to stop asking what could be or what’s being lost and start dreaming about what’s possible with AI as a steady, reliable co-pilot. A partner that works in tandem with human expertise to offer a client experience that extends beyond superior service to also deliver a little heart.
So, as we charge forward, it’s important that firms see AI not as a standalone tool for mere automation, but as an active partner, shaping the future of accounting from the inside out with humans at the center of it all.
“Empathy at scale” is the future competitive edge
Accountants gravitate to relationships, not just rules. But most firms reserve their deepest connection for a handful of clients. Today, AI makes it possible to replicate that trusted advisor experience across an entire client base.
Imagine a world where every touchpoint — call, email, meeting, advisory session — feels collaborative and emotionally intelligent. Make no mistake that this IS a reality now and represents the new competitive edge for firms.
It’s no longer about more transactions, but more AHA! moments and empathy-led insights. More opportunities for accountants to be the trusted ally guiding clients through complexity with emotional intelligence, context and data-driven boldness.
But how does this happen? Simple answer: When firms embrace being human-first and AI-smart.
Building emotional intelligence into advisory
What will define great advisors in 2030? Beyond technical know-how, it’s the ability to “hold space” and guide clients through uncertainty with compassion and candor. And this can only happen when you infuse emotional intelligence into advisory services.
Leading AI tools can take client data — meeting and call transcripts, emails and IMs — and surface real-time feedback on empathy and conversational resonance. Equipped with this information, the humans can then weave these insights into advisory to lead with both empathy and confidence.
The bottom line: AI helps advisors go deeper into client interactions and learn from output that is personal, measured and actionable.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE: INSIGHTS IN ACTION
Data is everywhere, but deeper insight remains rare. With platforms like ADP Accountant Connect, firms can easily benchmark client pay, monitor turnover and anticipate talent shortages turning unstructured firm data into high-value, AHA! advisory moments.
Imagine walking into a client meeting already armed with regional pay trends, benefits benchmarks and workforce analytics — all in the name of helping clients overcome specifically identified pain points. This sets the stage for a human-first, AI-smart advisory experience that clients will remember.
Those who are newer to advisory can begin with exploratory questions like: What does my restaurant client need to consider with changes to tip credit law? How does overtime impact my manufacturing client? Essentially, let AI sharpen your intuition, augment your expertise and broaden your perspective each step of the way.
AI is a thought partner, not just time saver
For firms to truly embrace AI and elevate the client experience, leaders first have to change the profession’s dominant mindset that AI will replace firms.
It’s time to move past the anxiety about being upended and forgotten and understand that AI is here to elevate, not eliminate. That requires adopting an “AI as co-pilot” mindset, allowing AI to “listen in” on client interactions, offer feedback, challenge your assumptions and help you see beyond blind spots.
It’s time to view AI as the coach who’s always available, nudging you to enhance advisory and the client experience, not just automate basic tasks or writing emails.
It’s also important to note that AI is not an “age thing.” AI readiness isn’t pegged to age but, rather, attitude. Thriving early-career accountants are using AI to decode complex client personalities, right alongside experienced owners leveraging AI for context and perspective.
But there’s a bigger lesson here. If professionals of all ages are applying AI to better firm operations and client experience, this supports cross-generational, reverse mentoring. Curiosity travels both directions, leading to creative solutions and smarter, more responsive firms. And the creativity doesn’t stop at new prompts or scripts; it stretches into how firms connect with clients, manage teams and cultivate a shared sense of possibility.
The four pillars of AI transformation
The journey from using AI to automate tasks to elevating advisory can be framed into four key pillars:
AI basics: Everyone develops AI literacy and curiosity, from staff to partner.
Leadership: AI augments pattern recognition, fuels faster decision-making and surfaces issues in communication and lack of empathy moments.
Advisory: With the grunt work streamlined, the advisor grows. AI-powered prompts and insights transform conversations from transactional to strategic and are supported with personalized insights.
Practice management: Pricing and outcome-based models gain traction as time-driven billing fades in the age of AI-enabled work.
It’s time to be human-first and AI-smart
With 2030 already knocking, there’s urgency, but also unprecedented opportunity with AI. There’s never been a better time to blend human empathy, creative intelligence and AI-first thinking to lead transformative outcomes and differentiate your firm from the pack.
As technology accelerates, accountants who put people first and leverage data and AI as allies will become indispensable architects of business resilience and growth. The next five years aren’t about catching up, they’re about leaping ahead. For the firms brave enough to reimagine, empowered by the best of both humanity and technology, the future isn’t just bright, it’s brilliantly human.
