Accountants are set to play an increasingly important role as trusted business leaders, providing governance, ethical oversight and assurance in the AI economy of the future.

A new position paper published by Chartered Accountants Ireland outlines why the technology will reinforce, rather than diminish, the role accountants play in supporting robust, accountable decision-making in the years ahead.

An Empowered Profession—AI and the Future of Accountancy challenges the narrative that the role of the accountant may be at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the recent launch of the paper in Dublin, Chartered Accountants Ireland Chief Executive Rosemary Keogh said the replacement narrative “reflects a misunderstanding of what modern accountants actually do”.

“The evidence simply doesn’t support that”, Keogh said, “AI is automating routine, rules-based work and most accountants welcome that. It frees them up to focus on higher-value roles like strategy, risk and decision-making”.

The AI economy of the future will “run on trust”, Keogh continued, strengthening the role of accountants as trusted business leaders and custodians of data.

“As AI systems become more widely used, the need for trusted financial information will only grow—and this is where accountants add real value”, she said.

Financial stewardship and ethical decision-making

The results of the most recent Trust Survey conducted for Chartered Accountants Worldwide by Edelman DXI, demonstrate how the role of the accountant is already viewed as fundamental to financial stewardship and safeguarding ethical decision-making in an age of algorithmic risk.

Published in October 2025, the report revealed that three-in-four organisations globally rely on Chartered Accountants to ensure data integrity.

Eighty-three percent of Trust Survey respondents agreed that the profession provides the critical analysis needed for business decisions, while 74 percent said the profession plays a crucial role in driving AI investment in business.

“As AI systems become more widely used, the need for trusted financial information will only grow—and this is where accountants add real value”, Keogh said.

“AI can process extraordinary volumes of data, automate complex tasks and generate insights at unprecedented speed, but trust in those outputs depends on human oversight, ethical judgement and professional accountability”.

As the profession continues to evolve alongside AI, accountants must now take a leading role in implementing the technology within finance functions, ensuring systems are deployed responsibly, controls are robust and outputs can be trusted.

Chartered Accountants embracing AI

Already, the profession is embracing AI, with additional research carried out by Chartered Accountants Worldwide revealing significant enthusiasm for AI within the profession.

Published in April 2025, AI and the Future of the Global Accountancy Profession surveyed over 2,700 Chartered Accountants globally, including 270 from Ireland.

Eighty-five percent of respondents expressed willingness to use AI tools and 91 percent of those aged 18-24 said they were already using the technology. The research also found that:

• 83% of respondents aged 18 to 24 use AI tools weekly— mainly for general productivity, data entry, reconciliation of accounts and financial reporting;

• 45% say AI is already helping them to work more effectively and efficiently;

• 31% say they are already using traditional AI in their job; and

• 29% are already using generative AI (GenAI) in their job.

Government must support AI literacy and adoption

Rosemary Keogh was joined at the launch of the Chartered Accountants Ireland position paper in Dublin on 20 May by Deputy Malcolm Byrne TD, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence.

As the largest professional body on the island of Ireland, with over 40,000 members, Chartered Accountants Ireland is calling on Government to invest in AI-ready infrastructure, strengthen supports for SME adoption and embed AI skills and literacy across the education system.

Noting that AI matters not just for accountants, but for Ireland as a whole, the Institute’s position paper sets out several recommendations:

1. Support for SMEs on their AI journey

Supports from Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices and others need to be more accessible, and SMEs and their workforces given the opportunity to become AI literate cost-effectively.

2. Investment in AI-ready infrastructure

For AI to work effectively, Ireland requires an underlying infrastructure that is strong, sustainable and resilient. From data centres to electricity generation and investments in the national grid, the right foundations are needed to optimise the use of AI.

3. Leading on EU simplification and AI regulation

During its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ireland has a unique opportunity to lead on the EU’s digital simplification package. Ireland should focus on ensuring regulations are proportionate for businesses and promote the development of guidance and tools that enable businesses to apply AI productively and responsibly.

4. Embedding AI literacy in education

Courses in secondary schools and in further and higher education need to be adapted so that all young people are AI literate and aware of the technology’s benefits, opportunities and dangers.

ACA syllabus world-leading in technological advancements

Over the past decade, significant steps have been taken to integrate AI and emerging technologies into the profession, including a major overhaul of both the content and delivery of the ACA training programmes.

Ireland’s progress in this area is now being used as a model internationally for bodies educating accountants in other parts of the world.

Since 2018, the Chartered Accountants Ireland syllabus has evolved to include robotic process automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, blockchain and accounting for digital assets.

“Reaching 40,000 members marks a milestone for Chartered Accountants Ireland, reflecting sustained growth and the enduring relevance and trust placed in the profession across Ireland”, said Rosemary Keogh.

“Chartered Accountants continue to be widely sought after in this country as highlighted by the profession’s ongoing inclusion on the Government’s Critical Skills Occupation List.

“For many Irish SMEs, their accountant is their main, and often only, adviser. That puts the profession at the frontline of responsible AI adoption: helping businesses assess and manage risk, comply with the law and make informed investment decisions”.