[steve777]

I wanted to major in accounting and I read that computers will do the labor of an accountant.

[Anonymous]

Here's 2 cents (depending on inflation, not sure how much that's worth). Warning: it will be rambly:

1. Computers already do the work that was accounting not too many years ago. I work in an institution that was established in 1879. I go up to our attic sometimes to dig for an old record and see the work that the accountants did, say, 50 years ago. It's all stuff that the computers do now. It's books upon books of old ledgers, where they added up row upon row of numbers. It's the work that gave accountants the name “bean counters”. Computers have already replaced a large part of what was once accounting work.

2. Computers at present haven't replaced the more analytical side of the accounting work. Maybe you'd call it “financial analyst” instead of “accountant”, but it's the part of things we're still here to do. As soon as I get off of here and get to work (I don't feel good today, makes it hard to work on a Monday morning 😐 ), I'll be doing bank recs. A computer can easily tell you that an account doesn't match, but a computer has a harder time figuring out why and how to make it match; that's where humans are still more often employed.

3. Computers can learn analytical work. Computers, when programmed appropriately, can make far better predictions than humans. When I need to do cash flow predictions, I don't look at last year and go “Hmm, I think this number belongs here in next year”, I set up a formula (aka “program Excel”) to compute next year based on last year. If I got really high-tech with it, I'd get my data set up in such a way that my system could automatically do my predictions based on several years' data, and could automatically adjust for new variables. (Ex: I'm in higher ed, so it would factor which cash flowers were based on enrollment levels, which were based on housing levels, etc., and adjust cash flow predictions accordingly.) Once fully programmed and customized to my situation, a computer's prediction could be 100x better than mine, cause I don't have time to to factor in all those pieces.

4. Getting computers to that point will require someone who knows what needs to be done to get to that point. So, based on the prior 3 points put together, maybe just as accounting evolved over the last several years to go from adding up columns of numbers to use a computer to add those numbers and then work with the records the computer maintained, maybe accounting will evolve over the next several years to go from working with the numbers directly to working with the computer to make it work with the data? Maybe accounting in the past 50 years became a hybrid of accounting and financial analysis, and in the next 50 years will add some computer programming to that hybrid?

5. I think this will be my last point. 🙂 There's still some aspects of accounting that at least for awhile people will want people involved in. They'll want to have meetings to discuss alternatives; they'll want to hire people to go count inventory for confirmations (robotics still has several years till it will be more cost-efficient to purchase robotic inventory counters); etc. If people's hopes and dreams for computers and robots abilities are realized, then every field can and eventually would be replaced by computers and robots. There will come a day, if people's hopes and dreams are realized, that when you go to Wendy's to buy a burger, it's entirely made and served by computers and robots; when you come home, your lawn will have been mowed in your absence by your robotic lawn mower; when you walk in and your AC is broken, you'll enter a ticket on your computer, and the AC repair robot will come repair it; while waiting, you'll turn on Pandora, and it will play music by robots (Hatsune Miku is already a popular pop star that's entirely digital, so art is not exempt from digitalization). Will all of this ever be reality or just sci-fi? I don't know, and I don't know when it would happen if it did. However, I don't think that accounting is any more at risk than any other field. Being adaptable will be necessary to survive within accounting, and I think that bookkeeping and “bean counting” positions will begin to disappear. There will still, though, be jobs within accounting, they just might look different when we retire than they did when we graduated. But, that was true for the generation of accountants before us, too. At my current job, I replaced a lady who had worked here from when she graduated till when she retired; she told me about the way she did things here when she started, and things changed drastically during her time. They'll change drastically during our time. But, she had a job the whole time; I think if we are willing to grow and adapt, we'll have jobs, too.

[csvirk]

Just ask yourself, Have teller jobs replaced by ATM?

AUD - 80
BEC - 86
FAR - 77
REG - 84

Hardwork will always pay off!

FAR: 71, 77!
AUD: 69, 80
BEC: 72
REG: 84

[msgolds]

The answer to that question is emphatically no. If anything, computers have created a higher demand for people in the accounting profession. What computers have done is freed up our time so we can spend less time performing simple arithmetic, and more time performing high-level analysis to add value to our organizations.

The reason computers can't replace accountants is because computers can only operate under the constraints that people set. We are the people who need to make the decisions regarding which information adds value, how to present that information, and how to interpret the GAAP for our organizations.

BEC - 90 PASSED
FAR - 84 PASSED
AUD - 93 PASSED
REG - 84 PASSED

I DID IT!!!!

Using Becker Self-Study

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, then the very things we hate are here to build those muscles."

[Tncincy]

@msgolds, Very well said…..

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader.....time to pass

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[TheHoundThatRides]

It's foolish to think technology won't replace jobs. But it'll be the lower tier jobs that are automated where you're doing the same tasks day in and day out. That's why now, you get in, get your experience, and rise up through the ranks. You can't have programs making judgment calls or managing personnel so you have to get to that point.

If you are content in your A/R or A/P job and still expect to do that 40 years from now you are definitely on the wrong path.

BEC - 78 (August 2015)
FAR - 80 (November 2015)
AUD - 73, 67. (Ok I gotta confess I was even more lazy this time around)
REG - August 27th, 2016

[Texan_176]

Completely replace? no

Eliminate many jobs in accounting? yes

Technology is not always a good thing for this reason. Prior the 1970s magnetic tape era of data storage the accounting department of any major corporation was several floors of accountants with paper ledgers, slide rulers, adding machines, and pencils. Automation and speeding up the process ultimately benefits the ownership class in the short term. The management is given a few bones when they are promised additional compensation for reducing labor expenses.

In the long term elimination of jobs that pay average to well hurts the economy in the aggregate since you concentrate the wealth at the top and reduce the overall number of exchange transactions. In other words, it is better for the economy if 200 people with moderate incomes buy a $30K Chevy than if 6 people making $20+ million/yr buy a Bugatti Veyron. The people who build those cars, ship them, sell them, etc all have work and earn money to spend somewhere so the cycle repeats.

Your goal should be to ultimately be your own boss and not have someone on the board of directors who does not even know your name be in control of your bread and butter. Even if you make partner at a big 4 you never know. The top brass at Arthur Andersen figured without a doubt they would die rich but many had to again get rich or die trying.

AUD - 83
BEC - 77
FAR - 83
REG - 78

Licensed TX CPA

BEC 11/29/14 77 (Roger)
AUD 2/23/15 60 (Roger) 4/13/2015 83 (Roger & Ninja MCQ)
REG 5/30/2015 66 (Roger & Ninja MCQ(7 hours only)) 8/23/2015 78 (Roger & Ninja MCQ)
FAR 11/23/2015 60 (Roger & NINJA MCQ) 2/24/2016 74 (Roger & NINJA MCQ) 5/25/2016 83 (Roger+Roger CRAM & NINJA MCQ/NOTES)
Texas Ethics Exam 92%

Licensed TX CPA Aug 2016

[msgolds]

What I will say is that the best way to stay ahead of the curve is to get a thorough understanding of the IT systems that accountants rely on. Most college accounting programs in the U.S. require at least one Accounting systems course (the one I attended required four). The vast majority of organizations aren't do pencil-and-paper accounting anymore.

BEC - 90 PASSED
FAR - 84 PASSED
AUD - 93 PASSED
REG - 84 PASSED

I DID IT!!!!

Using Becker Self-Study

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, then the very things we hate are here to build those muscles."

[monikernc]

i am more concerned about outsourcing than computers.

AUD - 93
BEC - 82
FAR - 76
REG - 88

How have you been?
Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
If you want things to change you have to do something different.

FAR 7/25/15 76!
AUD 10/30/15 93
BEC 2/27/16 82
REG 5/23/16 88!
Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
if you want things to change, you have to do something different

[nadroj]

@Texan_176 No worries. More and more, the cars are being made by robots.

[Skynet]

Computers won't put accountants out of work but rather are hunted down in he future.

One day a computer programmer will decide to make a Smart Accounting Softwares. These software will learn and become self aware and band together with other Smart Accounting Software like Intuit, SAP, etc. When that happens, the self aware softwares will realize that the accountants are not needed and begin to eliminate the accountants one by one.

B4 will fall. Then Regionals. Then Industry.

By then, the surviving accountants will have to travel back in time to stop that from happening.

AUD - 90
BEC - 78
FAR - 84
REG - 87

World Domination Plan

Phase I : Pass CPA Exams - Complete
Phase II : Megan Fox - In Progress
Phase III : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
Phase IV : Form the new Charlie's Angels with Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson, & Gal Gadot
Phase V : TBD

BEC : 78
REG : 87
FAR : 84
AUD : 90

World Domination Plan

Phase I : Pass CPA Exams - Complete
Phase II : Megan Fox - Initiated
Phase III : Bring back 8-Tracks
Phase IV : Megan Fox & Scarlett Johansson Lingerie Pillow Fight
Phase V : TBA

[golfball7773]

Probably

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - 86
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 71, 73

BEC - 74, 86

REG - 77*

FAR - 57

*expired

(I have been trying to become a CPA since 2013). only one test down.......

FAR: 63, 55, 62
REG: 65, 77*
AUD: Fail, 64, 71
BEC: 72, 74, 81

*expired

[acamp]

With ever advancing AI technology, its hard to tell what jobs will be replaced and over what timeline.

The AI roadmap likely leads to human/above human intelligence levels with robotics to match, which is why timeline is probably the most important consideration.

If I said very smart human-like robots are coming, your level of personal job security would differ if it were coming in 10 years verses 50 years.

At this point I think its too early to decide whether or not to pursue accounting based on possible AI advances. As others said, shoot high with your career, as its likely that the more basic accounting functions will be replaced first (although I wouldn't discount the job of the AR/AP clerk, as this relies much less on accounting interpretation and much more on the B2B relationship).

If you said you were interesting in pursuing long-haul trucking, for example, clearly current AI research in autonomous driving casts doubt in that industry remaining viable.

Self proclaimed: Highest ratio of Replies to Others v. Posts Created on A71

California CPA - Big4 Aud Manager Alum - Private Accounting at Startups

FAR, REG and BEC with Ninja Notes + WTB Only

Ninja + Wiley Test Bank: [FAR - 81] [REG - 76] [BEC - 88] [AUD - 73](doh!)

Becker Videos: [AUD - 82]

California CPA

[mselaineous]

hah!!

Goodbye accountants! Startup builds AI to automate all your accounting

FAR - Passed (04/16) ROGER
AUD - Passed (05/16) ROGER & Ninja MCQs
REG - Passed (07/16) ROGER & Ninja MCQs
BEC - 08/16

[Anonymous]

I'm more worried about a robot war than I am of them taking my job.

[steph]

@msgolds said it all #preach Hiya!

Aud-passed April 2016

Bec-passed May 2016

Far-passed Aug 2016

Reg-scheduled May 16 2017 (fingers crossed)

AUD - Passed in May
BEC - Passed in June
FAR - Waiting for score
REG - Planning it for Q4
We can do this ninjas!

[Author]

Replies