How AI Is Redefining Accounting by Doing the ‘Boring Stuff’

Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to transform accounting by automating routine tasks such as data entry, transaction classification, reconciliations and document review while leaving strategic judgment and interpretation to human professionals.

What’s emerging is an accounting profession where AI handles repetitive work efficiently, human accountants focus on higher-value functions, and overall productivity and reporting quality improve measurably.

AI Cuts Repetitive Work

AI’s early impact in accounting is most visible in the automation of repetitive “boring” tasks. Recent Stanford research finds that generative AI systems help accountants work more efficiently by automating repetitive bookkeeping and flagging issues in real time, freeing human staff to support more clients and complete financial reports faster. Accountants using these tools can close the books more quickly and provide higher-quality service than those who rely solely on manual processes. Accountants themselves report improvements in job manageability and efficiency as AI handles the grunt work.

At MIT Sloan and Stanford University researchers analyzed hundreds of thousands of transaction entries from multiple firms and found clear productivity gains when AI was used. Accountants using AI reallocated around 8.5% of their time from routine data entry to higher-value activities, saw a 12% increase in the granularity of ledgers and shortened monthly close cycles by approximately 7.5 days. These gains reflect not just faster processing, but also more detailed reporting and higher client support capacity.

According to the Thomson Reuters Institute’s 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report, sentiment toward generative AI in tax and accounting has shifted markedly over the past year. The report finds that 68% of professionals are optimistic or hopeful about gen AI’s impact on the profession, even as adoption remains uneven across firms.

About 21% of tax and accounting firms report already using generative AI, while an additional 53% say they are planning or actively considering adoption, indicating that experimentation is moving into broader operational use, particularly for tax research, document review and workflow support.

Large Firms Integrate AI

Major professional services firms are embedding AI into assurance, tax and audit workflows, but emphasize that technology amplifies human expertise rather than replaces it.

For example, EY notes that automation and machine learning improve accuracy and workflow efficiency, handling repetitive, structured tasks so that accountants and auditors can focus on interpretation, risk assessment and professional judgment. EY highlights that core work such as evaluating complex estimates, understanding context, and making nuanced decisions remains firmly in human hands.

Beyond automation, AI is already influencing job satisfaction and work roles. Forbes reveals that accountants who intentionally collaborate with AI tools report improved work-life balance, greater job satisfaction and the ability to engage in more strategic tasks such as advisory services and financial interpretation. These outcomes speak to a broader shift in how work is valued and allocated within firms.

Across firms, AI tools are being deployed to support tasks like document summarization, anomaly detection and standardized compliance work, reducing cycle times and manual effort. However, quality assurance remains a priority. Despite broad adoption, standardized metrics for measuring AI’s impact on audit quality are still developing, suggesting that technology must be paired with robust oversight to maintain trust and professional standards.

At the same time, human judgment remains essential. Both MIT/Stanford research and industry commentary highlight concerns about accuracy, data security and error risk when AI outputs are overtrusted without sufficient oversight. Accountants consistently note that experience and judgment are vital to validate AI results, interpret confidence scores and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.