The Institute of Management Accountants, the worldwide association of accountants and financial professionals in business, has released 'The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Accounting and Finance: A Global Perspective.' The report outlines how to embrace a future with artificial intelligence (AI) along with the challenges organizations can face and prerequisites needed for a successful AI integration.
The research for the report found that while AI will not fully replace human expertise, professionals at all levels will need to embrace and adopt this transformation and focus on technology proficiency, data analytics, critical thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. Likewise, organizations will need to foster human-machine collaboration, focusing on upskilling and reskilling team members, and creating a culture of ongoing learning to understand AI's strengths and weaknesses, steering toward its responsible and fruitful implementation.
Study participants identified four aspects of challenges associated with AI implementation, which are human, technological, operational, and ethical. Challenges related to people – involving all levels of employees within an organization, were identified as the biggest hurdle for success of AI initiatives, according to 38 percent of participants.
The research drew insights from in-depth dialogues from interviews and roundtable discussions with experts in the field and accounting/finance leaders spanning the U.S., Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, North Africa, India, and China.
