AI Adoption Is Accelerating - Are Firms Keeping Up?

In episode 162 of the Woodard Report Podcast, Joe Woodard and Heather Satterley explored developments in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, venture investment in accounting technology, productivity insights, and firm leadership strategies. The episode also included reflections drawn from popular culture, a learning segment focused on emerging AI tools, and a spotlight on a Woodard community member making meaningful changes.

AI adoption trends draw attention across industries

Heather began the conversation with a study conducted by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). The survey included approximately 1,700 executives from around the world and examined how organizations approach AI adoption and strategy.

Respondents reported that organizations already using AI often believe they hold a competitive advantage over organizations that have not yet adopted the technology. Those same organizations also expressed concern about competitors who may move faster in developing AI capabilities. Heather summarized the survey’s central findings and explained that “the gap is widening between the early adopters of artificial intelligence and the late adopters of artificial intelligence.”

Regional differences in adoption also appeared in the findings. South Africa along with regions in East and Southeast Asia reported some of the highest levels of AI implementation. North America ranked lowest among the regions included in the survey.

Joe expanded the discussion by highlighting recent venture funding activity within the accounting technology market. Several accounting automation platforms have raised significant capital in recent months. Joe emphasized the significance of these developments.

Heather also reflected on the pace of AI adoption across industries. She explained that “the AI companies, the adoption that they’re seeing is faster than any other technology in history since the industrial revolution.”

Lessons from film and television

Joe and Heather also discussed lessons from film and television. Heather referenced a quote from the film Blue Moon that reflects how people sometimes continue investing energy in situations that may not serve them well.

The quote reads, “We invest our hearts in worthless stocks and we know they're worthless, but we cling to them like little children clutching to their little stuffed bears.”

Heather connected this idea to client relationships within accounting firms. Firm leaders occasionally maintain challenging client relationships because of personal familiarity or long-standing history, even after recognizing that the engagement creates operational strain.

Joe followed with a quote from the television series Billions that focused on financial independence and decision-making. He used the scene to highlight the importance of maintaining financial flexibility within a professional practice.

Joe summarized the idea by explaining that “agency and independence go hand in hand.”

Financial stability allows firm leaders to make decisions based on strategy rather than short-term financial pressure.

A closer look at emerging AI tools

Heather also shared an insight about Microsoft Copilot that she recently learned during a conversation with technology expert Randy Johnston. Copilot operates using models from both OpenAI and Anthropic. The platform automatically determines which model is best suited for a particular prompt. This architecture allows Copilot to take advantage of multiple large language model systems without requiring users to manually choose among them.

Productivity insights from daily habits

Joe also discussed a productivity insight drawn from a book he has been reading titled The Productivity Project. Research referenced in the book indicates that the average American adult watches approximately three hours and forty-three minutes of television each day.

Joe noted that the total time spent watching television across a lifetime can add up to many years. Television viewing combined with increasing smartphone usage suggests that professionals may benefit from examining how they spend their attention during the day.

Heather responded by noting that some forms of screen time can support learning or mental exercise. Activities such as reading or solving puzzles may serve a different purpose than passive scrolling through social media feeds.

Member spotlight highlights pricing transformation

Joe and Heather were joined by Practice Advancement Coach Kim Petro, who highlighted Woodard community member Lisa Crawford of Crawford Financial Solutions.

Lisa recently adjusted her firm’s pricing approach in order to better reflect the value delivered to clients. Her firm focuses primarily on businesses within the construction industry. Lisa introduced quarterly review meetings for high-growth clients. These conversations allow her firm to evaluate client expansion and ensure that pricing reflects the increasing complexity of services.

Kim also noted that Lisa worked through several mindset barriers related to pricing. Those changes helped Lisa communicate the value of her services more confidently during client conversations.

Woodard Report article of the week

Heather highlighted a recent Woodard Report article: Explore the AI Track at Scaling New Heights 2026. The article outlines the upcoming Scaling New Heights conference track, which includes over 100 sessions.

Sessions address practical topics, including prompting techniques, governance practices, and strategies for integrating AI tools into accounting workflows. Heather explained, “We just worked so hard to curate exactly the right sessions that I'm just so passionate and excited about it.”

This episode illustrates how discussions across the accounting profession continue to evolve as AI becomes a larger part of firm operations. Joe and Heather’s conversation provides both perspective and practical insight for professionals evaluating how these technologies will influence the future of accounting services.

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Thank you to our show sponsor, Puzzle!
The next generation firm, AI-powered human lead. Puzzle replaces manual QuickBooks workflows with AI-driven books built for review, approval, and audit-ready accountability. Learn more at puzzle.io.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by a human.