Episode 191 - AI, Ethics & the Power of the Small

In episode 191 of The Woodard Report Podcast, Heather Day is joined by Tanya Hiltz, CEO & Founder of Cloud Business Services & Tanya's Bookkeepers' Bootcamp, for a conversation about AI governance, human judgment, the risks of moving too quickly, and why accounting professionals need to stay actively involved in how AI develops. Tanya also shares what she learned from participating in a United Nations AI summit in Geneva.

Representing small business in the AI conversation

Tanya shared how she became involved with the  United Nations AIFOD Geneva Summit, which focused on AI. She explained that the work centers on making sure smaller countries, smaller companies, and smaller communities are not left behind as a small number of large companies shape the future of AI.

She also talked about the imposter syndrome she felt leading up to the summit and why she ultimately decided her perspective as a small business owner and accounting professional was worth bringing into the room.

Watch Episode 191 here

Guardrails, judgment and critical thinking

One of the biggest themes from the summit was the need for guardrails around AI. Tanya said the conversation repeatedly came back to protecting human judgment, context and critical thinking as AI becomes more capable.

“If you can’t do it manually, you have no business using AI to do it,” Tanya said. She explained that accounting professionals still need the knowledge to verify what AI produces rather than assuming the answer is correct.

Heather and Tanya also discussed the broader risks of relying too heavily on technology that is developing faster than regulation. Their conversation touched on governance, the concentration of AI power among a small number of companies, and why professionals need to stay informed rather than assuming someone else will solve those issues.

The economics and environmental impact of AI

Tanya shared some of the financial concerns discussed at the summit, including circular financing among large AI companies and what could happen if current valuations or investment levels are not sustainable. Heather and Tanya discussed how rising costs or financial instability could eventually reach small businesses and end users.

They also discussed the environmental impact of data centers and the challenge of expanding AI infrastructure without placing additional pressure on energy and water resources.

Tanya described one proposal she contributed to the Geneva Compact involving smaller, distributed data centers that could support smaller countries and communities while reducing some of the environmental and economic barriers to access.

Using AI without giving up control

Heather and Tanya discussed how they personally use AI in their work while keeping human judgment at the center of the process.

Tanya said she regularly asks AI for pros, cons and recommendations, but does not allow it to make the final decision. “I never let it make a decision and move to the next step without me approving it,” she said.

Heather shared a similar approach and recalled an early experience when AI confidently supplied her with a false quote. They discussed why professionals need enough subject matter knowledge to recognize when AI is wrong and challenge its output.

Start small and stay involved

For accounting professionals who are unsure where to begin, Tanya encouraged them to start using AI, but only for work they understand well enough to verify themselves. She suggested reflecting at the end of each day on tasks that could have been made more efficient with AI and learning gradually from there.

Tanya is also offering listeners a free resource with 102 AI prompts for bookkeepers. The guide includes prompting ideas designed to help accounting professionals use AI more effectively while keeping their own judgment and expertise in the process. 102 Fail-Proof AI Prompts for Bookkeepers

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