AI Is Making Me More Productive (One Candy Bar at a Time)

Editor’s Note: This is an opinion piece, meaning it is one professional’s take based on their experience. While dark chocolate makes a notable appearance, any strong opinions expressed belong solely to the author. In the interest of full transparency, our Senior Editor, Heather Satterley, has made it known that dark chocolate is, in fact, her favorite. Other members of  The Woodard Report team may respectfully disagree, and this preference should not be interpreted as an official position of The Woodard Report.

The 1099’s have been delivered, and now you have a little breathing room before the S corps (1120-S) and Partnerships (1065) take center stage on March 15th. It’s time to have a smile and read about how AI can help you be more productive.

The evil of tax season is upon us. The 1099’s have been delivered, and tax season is approaching like a cold front about to collide with a Texas dry line in April. It will lift the warm, unstable air upwards and trigger a severe thunderstorm that could result in a tornado.

That is the first time I have ever compared a tornado to the April 15^th tax deadline. I have been married to a CPA for 34 years, with 30 of those being tax seasons. The analogy works, and like tornadoes, some years it works better than others.

A view from the IT desk during tax season 

As your happy IT guy, I am busy trying to ensure everything stays up to date and applying the latest industry application updates. Making sure all those binders have been checked in and tax codes are updated. In the modern era, I am also busy with security and compliance. Making sure no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is being sent via unsecure methods.

Once all that fun stuff is done, and all is quiet, I get to relax and enjoy working on Security Policies and Written Information Security Plans (WISPs). What better time than when tax professionals are working away all day and night!

AI as a timesaver = increased productivity!

As often happens during these times of reading WISPs, my mind wanders, and I run down a rabbit hole. Sometimes it’s productive, and other times it’s a question like “Why are there so many Special Dark Hershey’s in the miniatures mixed bag?” “Does anybody actually like these things?”

So, it turns out, according to my know-it-all friend AI, yes, people actually do like dark chocolate. A lot of people. A lot of sad, lonely people with no taste. Oh, and it is actually not any cheaper to manufacture than other miniature bars.

Ok, so why are there so many in a bag then?

Corporate evil or just awesome marketing?

As it turns out, it's both a calculated move by the corporate giant and some seriously awesome marketing, if we are honest. Here are the reasons:

1. It is still a high-quality, well-liked candy bar. It is not like you are going to throw them away! You’re just going to end up with a sad little pile of them at the end of a glorious journey.

2. The shelf-life and stability of darker chocolate are higher in heat and age in a large bag that may sit on shelves forever.

3. It gives the option of dark chocolate to people who feel they are not worthy of a better candy. But seriously, for a healthy option and at a lower cacao rating, it is slightly less bitter than high-cacao dark chocolates. So, if you are not at a tequila or whisky tasting, it is fine for everyday consumption.

4. It helps the bag last longer. People who prefer dark chocolate usually have one piece and move on. Others will accept it, but overall, it extends the life of the bag, and consumers appreciate that quality. Even if they don’t like it.

5. They are cheaper and easier to manufacture than candy with additional ingredients like nuts, rice, or caramel. They can crank them out as easily as the OG, the GOAT, the One That Started it all - Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. (Said in your best ring announcer’s voice.)

The big lesson learned

To sum it all up, I spent less than five minutes in the rabbit hole and learned so much about Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate that I could star in a commercial about how I am becoming like my parents in the candy aisle to some poor, random shopper. Coming this Sunday to a grocery store near you!

The point is that it increased my productivity for today.

Now, I must get back to work. I need to make sure this AI policy that was added to this WISP reads correctly and adheres to the firm’s chosen AI vendor. (Wait, I could write a Woodard Report Article about how AI just made me more productive...)

Happy Tax Season Everyone! Keep Smiling!