Every time I open QuickBooks there is some new 'AI-based Agent' doing for me, the same work I was doing yesterday. Artificial intelligence is moving faster than many (I suspect, 'most') of us can keep track of. It makes me wonder how long it will be before QuickBooks is doing 'everything' for me?
For many in the accounting profession (and I use that term broadly in this context), it's comforting to think that AI is 'just a tool' for accountants to use. However, the reality is that many of the 'Agentic AI' enhancements being made are shifting the role of accounting personnel. Some of those role shifts are into 'more sophisticated areas of responsibility'; but some of those role shifts are unfortunately 'out the door'.
For example, many of the tasks that 'bookkeepers' performed within an accounting firm (as accounting techs), are now being performed by AI Agents. The more sophisticated AI Agents become within our accounting software, the quicker humans previously performing those tasks are receiving 'pink slips.' While those are not necessarily the intentions of 'accounting agent' developers, they are a growing outcome of the agents being released within software like QuickBooks.
Every person reading this article will determine for themselves whether such changes are 'good' or 'bad.' And each of you are welcome to leave your comments regarding same at the bottom of this article.
Every month or so (it seems), new AI Agents are being released, and existing AI Agents are getting smarter, and are performing more tasks. And this is just as true for QuickBooks as for other 'accounting' software on the market. In fact, Intuit seemingly is cranking out such changes faster than many other developers.
Recently, Intuit announced that their AI 'Accounting' Agent was "now even smarter." That their "learning on the job" has made these agents smarter and equipped them to empower (QuickBooks users) to run their businesses. Time was we would hope that an 'Accounting Intern' was learning on the job to enhance their ability to do the assigned work, not tell us how to run our business (or our accounting practice).
It seems that Intuit's Accounting Agents have started improved their accuracy to reduce our "human error(s)". These AI Agents, along with access to trusted experts (and who know who those experts are) will help manage our accounting, payments, and customers.
It's like that fear we once had that 'the new guy the boss hired right out the trade school' is coming in to not only tell us how we should be doing our jobs but taking our jobs from us.
Intuit also recently announced that, "from QuickBooks to Intuit Enterprise Suite", their platform is delivering revolutionary intelligence designed to provide "everything" you need to manage, compete and grow your business.
If it is providing "everything", what will you and your employees be providing?
Intuit's soon to be Beta-released "Intuit Intelligence" is "a revolutionary system for managing your firm and clients." It will be a 'single prompt' tool whereby you can ask questions and 'debate' with conversational AI allowing you to receive data-backed answers and recommendations to provide 'instant clarity' to help you make decisions with confidence and trust. Intuit says that this new conversational tool will be your gateway to the AI Agents who can act on your behalf, while leaving you in full control.
Debate with your boss, debate with your co-workers, debate with the new kid on the bock, and now debate with the AI Conversational Agent... just what I was looking forward to, another debate.
And besides, "isn't 'de bate' the stuff you stick onto the hook at the end of your line to catch 'de fish'?
It kind of make me wonder if we should not already be singing as we head out the front door of the accounting office one Friday night, "Turn out the lights, the party's over".
At least I can 'go fishing' then; I don't think there are any "AI 'trout fishing' agents" on the river!
Murph
