AI has become the new buzzword in professional services—but for accounting firms, its adoption carries both opportunity and risk. Some firms are already weaving AI into their workflows; others are still experimenting quietly behind the scenes. Regardless of where your firm falls, one question looms large:

Increasingly, accounting leaders acknowledge that AI will significantly shape the future of the profession. And yet, that awakening has brought a new problem: paralysis.

Our profession truly seems to have gone from famine to feast in an accelerated timeframe, but this new abundance also requires a very different game plan to win.

What will be the role of the junior associate once AI takes over all the simple tasks that generate the experience needed for more complex ones?

To help with that process, the JofA connected with the moderator and two panelists for the “Rapid-Fire: Top Apps to Know” session to be held June 11 at the AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE 25 conference (pricing and registration) in Las Vegas. That 50-minute session will share nine app recommendations across three categories: productivity, training, and communication.

Some types of accounting work, regardless of whether AI is being used by the human performing them, will be replaced by AI itself. Full stop. That's the dirty little secret we're not talking about enough.

We often talk about how we train AI - with data, with models, with human feedback. But here’s the thing: AI is training us back.‍

AI is transforming the accounting industry, but how can firms adopt it effectively without feeling overwhelmed? Ellen Choi, Founder and CEO of Edgefield Group, shares practical AI use cases, adoption strategies, and insights on how accountants can harness AI to enhance efficiency and advisory services.