How to use artificial intelligence in the daily work of an accountant?
In brief:
- AI can assist accountants with searching for and summarizing information, analyzing documents, drafting text, analyzing data, and structuring workflows.
- AI is best used as an assistant that prepares or analyzes information, while the accountant verifies the results and makes professional decisions.
- When using AI to work with accounting information, always evaluate data security and the terms of use for the specific tool.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a part of an accountant's daily life. However, its use is not limited to the features of accounting software or automatic data processing. AI tools can also assist with tasks that are time-consuming but do not necessarily require the accountant's own professional judgment—such as summarizing information, analyzing documents, drafting text, reviewing data, or structuring workflows.
There is no single AI tool that is suitable for every task. Depending on your needs, you can use various AI tools, data analysis solutions, or AI features integrated into accounting software. Therefore, the main question is not "which AI tool should I use?", but rather "which of my work tasks can I perform more conveniently or quickly with AI?" Only then should you start looking for the most suitable solution.
How can AI help an accountant?
When talking about artificial intelligence in accounting, we often first think of automated data entry, invoice processing, or other processes that take place within an accounting system. However, the possibilities of AI are much broader.
In their daily work, accountants also have many small and repetitive tasks that consume a significant amount of time. Reading a long document, finding specific information, explaining a complex issue to a client in plain language, comparing two versions of a document, or creating an Excel formula. In such cases, AI can become a practical work assistant.
This does not mean that AI makes decisions for the accountant. Rather, it helps to reach information faster or prepare a first draft of work, which the professional then verifies and supplements.
AI is not the same as accounting automation
Artificial intelligence and accounting automation are related, but they are not the same thing. Automation allows a system to automatically execute a predefined action or process. AI, on the other hand, can help analyze information, work with unstructured data, generate content, spot potential discrepancies, and prepare information for professional decision-making.
For example, automatically importing bank transactions into accounting software is automation. If AI helps analyze these transactions, spot unusual entries, or prepare a summary of them, that is the use of AI.
Both technologies can complement each other, but their tasks are not identical. Therefore, in this article, by the use of AI, we primarily mean tasks where AI helps to analyze, summarize, structure, or prepare information, rather than simply automatically executing a predetermined action.
Searching for and summarizing information
One of the simplest ways to use AI in daily work is for summarizing information. An accountant does not need to ask AI to "come up with an answer"—it is much more useful to use it to understand already available information faster. For example, AI can help explain complex text in simpler language, summarize a long document, or create a list of questions that need to be clarified before making a specific decision.
This can be especially useful when working with long documents. Instead of searching for information in them manually, you can ask AI to highlight specific requirements, deadlines, or conditions.
For example:
"Summarize this document into five main points. Highlight the requirements that may affect accounting work and indicate which section of the document each requirement can be found in."
However, there is a significant difference between gathering information and verifying its accuracy. When it comes to tax requirements or other regulatory matters, information provided by AI should not be taken as a final answer. The specific requirement must always be verified against an original, reliable source.
Document analysis and comparison
AI can also be useful when you need to go through multiple documents or understand what has changed within them. For example, an accountant may need to evaluate a new version of a contract, changes to internal company policies, or two documents containing a lot of similar information. In such situations, AI can help identify differences and structure them in an understandable way.
You can use a prompt such as the following:
“Compare these two versions of the document. Create a table with the most significant changes and indicate which section they are found in. Do not draw conclusions about the legal significance of the changes.”
It is particularly important here to clearly state what the AI is and is not allowed to do. If you only want to find differences, there is no need to ask the tool to interpret their meaning. The more precise the task, the easier it is to verify the resulting output.
AI can also help transform loosely structured information into a more convenient format—for example, by creating a table, checklist, sequence of actions, or summary. This can be especially useful if the original information is long and cumbersome to use.
Drafting emails and other texts
An accountant's work is not just about numbers. A significant part of daily life involves communication with clients, colleagues, and company management. Sometimes, trying to explain complex information in a way that the other person truly understands takes more time than drafting the response itself.
This is where AI can help prepare the first draft of a text. For example, if you need to explain to a client why it is necessary to submit missing documents, you can give the AI the following task:
“Write a short email to a client explaining why it is necessary to submit the missing documents. Maintain a professional but not overly formal tone and explain the situation in simple language.”
Similarly, AI can be used to convert technical information into text that is understandable to a client, shorten an overly long explanation, or prepare several variations of a text. This does not mean that the finished email can simply be copied and sent. The accountant must verify the facts, adapt the text to the specific situation, and ensure that the AI has not made assumptions that do not align with the actual circumstances.
Checklists and structuring work processes
Not all AI applications are related to documents or data. It can also help organize an accountant's own work. For example, you can create a checklist from a description of a process or break a large task down into smaller steps. This can be useful both for organizing daily tasks and for documenting new processes.
You can ask:
“Create a month-end checklist for an accountant at a small business. Group the tasks by phase and note which ones must be completed before preparing the report.”
You can structure a new client onboarding process, prepare a list of questions, or convert an existing job description into a sequential process in a similar way. Of course, AI does not know a specific company's workflow the way an accountant does. Therefore, such a checklist is a starting point, not a finished procedure. A professional must adapt it to their own situation.
AI as a "second pair of eyes"
Another interesting way to use AI is as a conversation partner that helps you look at a problem from a different perspective.
For example, if an accountant faces an unclear situation, they can ask the AI not to provide an answer immediately, but to help understand what else needs to be clarified.
“What questions should I ask the client to fully understand this situation?”
Or:
“What other aspects should be evaluated before I make a decision about this process?”
This approach can help identify questions or potential alternatives that did not initially come to mind. However, it is important to maintain boundaries here as well. AI is not a professional decision-maker. It can help broaden your thinking, but the accountant must evaluate which questions are relevant and what solution is correct in a given situation.
How to choose an AI tool for a specific task?
Since there are more and more AI tools, there is no need to look for one that would be the "best for an accountant." Different tools are designed with different capabilities, and even the same tool may be more or less suitable for different tasks.
An accountant can use various AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other solutions, as well as AI functions in Excel, document management, accounting, and other professional systems.
More important than the specific name is understanding what you want to achieve. For example, if you need to analyze a long document, it is important that the tool works well with files and large volumes of information. If data analysis is required, its capabilities in working with tables and data will be important. Conversely, for information retrieval, the ability to use current sources and cite their origin may be essential.
When choosing an AI tool, it is also worth paying attention to how it processes user data, what integrations it offers, and what its terms of use and costs are. Therefore, a more practical approach is to first define the task and only then choose the tool.
How to write a good prompt for an AI tool?
The more precisely you explain to the AI tool what you want to achieve, the more useful the result usually is. This does not mean that you need to create a complex prompt for every task. However, it is worth specifying at least four things: context, task, constraints, and the desired result.
For example, if you want to analyze cost changes, "analyze this data" is not enough. It would be much more useful to explain who the analysis is for and what result you expect.
- Context: I am an accountant preparing information for the company manager.
- Task: Explain the cost changes shown below.
- Constraints: Use only the provided data and do not make assumptions about reasons not visible in the data.
- Result: Prepare a brief summary and indicate what else should be verified.
This approach also helps the accountant more accurately formulate what they expect from AI.
What must not be forgotten when using AI in an accountant's work?
The more AI is used in professional work, the more important it becomes to understand its limitations. AI can provide a convincing answer even when it is incorrect, and it may use incomplete or misinterpreted information.
Therefore, one must be particularly careful with answers regarding taxes, regulations, legal issues, and financial calculations. AI can help find information or prepare an initial analysis, but essential conclusions must be verified against reliable sources.
Data protection is equally important. Before entering client or company information into an AI tool, you must know how the specific tool processes data and whether such information is permitted to be entered at all. Be especially cautious with personal data, trade secrets, and other confidential information.
A good basic principle is simple: AI can help prepare work, but the accountant must be able to understand, verify, and justify the final result.
Read more about the benefits, risks, and role of AI in the accounting industry in our article on artificial intelligence in accounting.
How to start using AI in an accountant's daily routine?
To start using AI, you do not need to immediately change your entire workflow or implement several new tools. It is much simpler to choose one repetitive, low-risk task and test whether AI actually helps.
This could be drafting an initial email, summarizing a long document, explaining an Excel formula, or creating a checklist. Use non-confidential data, verify the result, and see if it truly takes less time to complete the task.
If the result is useful, the next step may be to create your own operating principle or prompt template. Over time, individual experiments can evolve into a practical approach to using AI that is tailored specifically to your daily routine.
This is also the best way to view AI in accounting. Not as a technology that will change the entire profession overnight, but as another tool that can help an accountant perform their work more efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can artificial intelligence help an accountant in their daily work?
AI can assist with searching for and summarizing information, analyzing documents, drafting emails and other texts, working with data and Excel, creating checklists, and structuring work processes. AI can also be used as a sounding board to look at a problem from a different perspective.
What AI tools can an accountant use?
An accountant can use various AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others, as well as AI features integrated into data analysis, office, accounting, and other professional software. The choice of tool depends on the specific task, the required functions, and data security requirements.
Can AI replace an accountant?
AI can automate or facilitate certain tasks, but it does not replace an accountant's professional judgment, understanding of context, and responsibility for the final result. It is more accurate to view AI as a work assistant that helps prepare, summarize, or analyze information.
Is an accountant allowed to enter client data into an AI tool?
This depends on the specific data, the AI tool's data processing terms, and the company's internal policies. Sensitive, personal, or confidential information should not be entered into an AI tool before verifying how that data is processed and whether it is permitted to do so.
How can I start using AI in accounting work?
The simplest way is to choose one repetitive and relatively low-risk task, such as drafting text, summarizing a document, or creating an Excel formula. Try AI with non-confidential data, check the result, and evaluate whether it actually saved time. If the approach works, it can be gradually implemented in other daily tasks.