This is a crucial read. While AI can undoubtedly fix the cracked talent pipeline by removing tedious work, I think the human barrier extends to education. If we don't start training accounting students now on how to supervise, audit, and troubleshoot AI systems—instead of just performing the manual tasks that AI will soon handle—we're simply trading one talent shortage for another. The profession needs to rapidly redefine its core undergraduate curriculum to reflect an AI-augmented reality.
Accounting programs still train students for manual execution, while firms quietly want judgment, review, and systems thinking. Teaching students how to supervise and audit AI only works if firms actually let entry-level staff do that work.
If schools change but firm expectations don’t, the pipeline stays broken. The definition of entry-level competence has to change on both ends at the same time.
This is a crucial read. While AI can undoubtedly fix the cracked talent pipeline by removing tedious work, I think the human barrier extends to education. If we don't start training accounting students now on how to supervise, audit, and troubleshoot AI systems—instead of just performing the manual tasks that AI will soon handle—we're simply trading one talent shortage for another. The profession needs to rapidly redefine its core undergraduate curriculum to reflect an AI-augmented reality.
True, but education alone won’t fix it.
Accounting programs still train students for manual execution, while firms quietly want judgment, review, and systems thinking. Teaching students how to supervise and audit AI only works if firms actually let entry-level staff do that work.
If schools change but firm expectations don’t, the pipeline stays broken. The definition of entry-level competence has to change on both ends at the same time.