Last week I attended Scaling New Heights, the largest accounting technology conference in the world. It was my fourth year attending, and because of the book I’ve been reading — Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned — I decided to go without an agenda. Just curiosity.

What I discovered: AI is reshaping accounting faster than most practitioners realize. The firms that will thrive aren’t the ones who resist the change — they’re the ones who learn to use AI as a lever for deeper human expertise. The future isn’t AI replacing accountants. It’s accountants who use AI replacing those who don’t. Bold, novel steps are required. Step into the unknown.