Accountants show low adoption of generative AI tools

When asked to rate their usage of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools on a scale from 1-10, accountants rated their overall use at 1.56, indicating a very low adoption of the new technology. A recent paper published in Accounting Horizons by University of Miami academics Mark Ross and James Zhang found that accounting professionals rated the current use of generative AI in their jobs at only 0.990. Leaders displayed a stronger intention to use generative AI compared to lower level employees, perceiving it as more useful and easier to use. Public accounting firms are more likely to plan to use generative AI in the future, but staff attitudes towards the technology are lower compared to other organizations. The study also revealed that generative AI is primarily used by accountants to draft memos, reports, emails, and research technical issues. The findings of this study differ from other surveys conducted around the same time, indicating varying levels of AI usage among accountants. The authors attribute these differences to the sample used in their study and the definition of AI. The study is considered the first professional survey study on accountants’ usage of generative AI