Will AI Close the Accountant Shortages in the UK?
The current state of accountant shortages The UK accounting industry is facing a crisis as a result of the shortage of professionals. An independent report published in 2023 by the Financial Reporting Council indicates that the number of newly qualified accountants has declined by 10% over the last five years. The independent report is also supported by an ACCA survey, where it was found out that up to 40% of the firms cannot find the skilled accountants they require. The gap is increasing because demand for accounting services is on the rise due to changes in regulatory requirements and an increased volume of business. Will AI bridge the gap? The rise of AI in accounting Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes a new transformative power across many industries, and accounting is no exception. Technologies of AI, including machine learning and natural language processing and robotic process automation (RPA), are increasingly incorporated into accounting workflows for accuracy and com...