“Will AI replace accountants — or just the boring parts of accounting?”
Just about one year ago, Jeremy Hunt said publicly that he would discourage people from pursuing an accounting career because Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take over much of the work. Since then, naturally, this has been widely reported and debated.
Many in the accounting world did a double take. What?
Interestingly, they were divided in their reactions. Seems that as in many professions, the role and effect of AI remains to be seen. And perhaps, accountants have more influence over this than they think.
According to a compelling Accounting Today survey, many accountants are happy to have help from AI—particularly with tedious tasks.
- 72% of accountants are comfortable with tech taking over tasks previously done by humans
- 53% say AI is already making them more effective
- 46% believe firms will need fewer employees because of AI
Some research even suggests the adoption of AI will attract more people to accountancy. For instance, The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) in 2025 research found reasons to be optimistic. Their data revealed:
- 64% of those polled believe AI will enhance the profession
- 78% say AI frees them from admin
- Two in five people would consider switching to accountancy because AI can handle the boring bits
- AI is seen as an enabler, not a threat
This is the counter‑argument: AI makes the job better, not redundant. But, love to hear what others think, both accountants and clients! So:
“Will AI replace accountants — or just the boring parts of accounting?”
.
