In episode 184 of The Woodard Report Podcast, Dawn Brolin, The Designated Motivator for Accounting Professionals and CEO of Powerful Accounting Inc, graciously filled in for Heather Day and talked with Joe Woodard about how fast AI is moving and the fear surrounding that. They also discussed the rise of closed LLMs, quantum computing, and the need for accounting professionals to stay engaged as technology changes.
Dawn brought up the speed of AI adoption and the concerns many professionals have about client data, privacy, and compliance. “I am seeing AI move faster than a freight train,” she said.
Joe followed up with news about Ernst & Young installing a quantum computer in its Toronto office. He explained that this development shows quantum computing may arrive faster than expected, and that pairing quantum processing power with AI could create a level of transformation the profession and the world have not seen before.
Dawn chose a quote from The Greatest Showman about making a difference by being different. She connected it to the accounting profession and the need to challenge old ways of operating.
Joe shared a House of the Dragon quote about fear and used it to talk about the risk of delaying change. He expressed that fear can keep practices from making decisions that could move them forward.
Dawn shared how she’s been using Claude with Excel to analyze financial statements and prepare stronger client talking points. Joe added a simple prompt accountants can try: “Give me five things that I should talk about with my client.” Dawn also noted that Claude can create strong executive summaries from the same financial data.
Joe shared AI commands that can change how a GPT responds, including ways to make it more direct, more human, more truthful, or more willing to challenge an idea.
Dawn and Joe also played two truths and a lie. Dawn’s round focused on her love of the Red Sox, playing pool, and whether or not she enjoys the beach. Joe’s round centered on Augustus and a few surprising details from Roman history.
Joe highlighted Tanya Hiltz’s article, Accounting Pros Now Have a Voice at the AI Table. This article shares Tanya’s upcoming role representing Canada in AI discussions at the United Nations in Geneva. The deadline to submit questions and concerns for Tanya to bring to those discussions has passed, but she plans to share updates and insights from her experience. You can see all of her articles here: The Woodard Report | Tanya Hilts, CPB, FCPB, CFCC, AIA
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This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by a human.