Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence of the Accountancy Profession

With the integration of digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI), the accounting profession is progressing through the involvement of software and algorithms within companies, facilitating many tasks and enabling professionals to concentrate on higher value-added tasks. Nevertheless, the accountant is increasingly losing his monopoly on the role with the automation of procedures, dematerialization of certain tasks, and emergence of new, digital players for day-to-day accounting administration. To answer our research question, we conducted a qualitative study. In-depth interviews with accountants, auditors, and stakeholders involved in the digital transformation of the profession were conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding the impact of digital transformation and AI in France. A triangulation approach was therefore adopted. The results of this study demonstrate that the use of AI in the accounting sector is inevitable, transforming the accounting profession and the accountant-client relationship.