Artificial intelligence (AI) is here. The interest is real. The profession is moving toward standards around responsible use. But a gap remains between having the tool and knowing where it actually helps.
A common pattern goes like this: AI joins the meeting; you read the recap; maybe a follow-up gets flagged. That’s useful, but it also leaves a lot of value sitting on the table.
AI-successful firms aren’t using AI as a fancy note-taker. They are using it as a thinking partner and bringing their own judgment to the process. They are finding that the biggest returns show up not in time saved, but in better conversations and stronger client outcomes.
Here are three use cases for what it looks like in practice.
Advisory is one of the biggest growth opportunities in accounting right now. Firms know it. Clients want it. Yet, most of the conversation about AI in accounting has been about efficiency. Saving time, analyzing reports, automating the routine. That is valuable, but it’s not the whole story.
The real opportunity is the conversation itself.
Think about a quarterly advisory call. Maybe it’s about cash flow, pricing, or runway. Long agenda, limited time. You cover the background, walk through the numbers, hit the main risks, and close with next steps. On paper, it was a good meeting.
A week goes by, and the client comes back confused about something you thought was clear.
This happens more than most of us like to admit. The advice was solid, but the conversation didn’t land the way you thought it did.
This is where AI gets interesting. Run that call through an accounting advisory tool, and suddenly you can see things that were hard to catch in real time. Maybe 70% of the conversation went to context and only 10% went to actual options. The client’s questions were clustered at the very end, when time was almost up. The key risk got two rushed minutes, and the client never reflected their understanding.
That’s not a failure. It’s information.
Once you can see it, you can do something with it. You can schedule a short follow-up focused only on the decision. You can clarify the risk, ask better questions, and make sure the client actually understands the path forward. This is where AI can make a difference. Not because it summarized the meeting, but because it helped you see how to make the next conversation better.
The same process can be used in leadership. It gives you visibility into how you communicate, how you handle difficult conversations, where you stand firm and where you give too much away. Negotiation is one of the clearest places to see that in action.
The ever-present challenge is that the higher you go in a firm, the less honest feedback you usually get. The conversations that matter most – negotiating a merger or acquisition, talking to a private equity firm, navigating a difficult partner conversation – happen at a level where very few people are positioned to tell you how you actually did. You leave with a gut sense. Sometimes that’s enough. Often it isn’t.
That means some of the biggest decisions in a firm are being made with the least amount of outside perspective.
In this kind of situation, AI is especially useful. You can use it to get specific feedback. Where did I underplay my position? Where did I miss a chance to clarify terms? Then you adjust based on your professional judgment.
That is not abstract feedback. That is your own behavior, reflected back to you in a way you can apply right away.
So, before the next negotiation, you will walk in with more than instinct. You know where you held your ground last time. You know where you gave away too much. You know what you want to handle differently. That kind of clarity can change an outcome.
This case is more personal and long-lasting.
Most professionals develop their communication style through years of trial and error. A mentor here, a tough client there, a conversation that went sideways and taught you something. But that process is slow and depends on who happens to be available to provide feedback.
With the right AI tool, you can identify patterns across many conversations over time, and you notice things you would never catch in the moment. Perhaps you tend to talk more than you listen when a topic makes you nervous. Maybe you have a habit of rushing to solutions before the client has finished describing the problem. There’s a chance you will find that you are at your best when you ask open-ended questions.
Self-awareness compounds. One small adjustment, made consistently across many conversations, adds up. Not just a better meeting next week, but you become a better professional continuously over the course of a career.
Most accountants are still using AI like a faster search engine or a better email writer. But the firms getting ahead are using it more intentionally. They are using it as a thinking partner to be better prepared, communicate more clearly, and grow as a professional over time.
That is what a secure tool like XcelLabs’ Navi is built to support. Not to outsource judgment, but to help the professional see more clearly what is happening in the room. Then you can decide what to do next.
That is a different kind of value. And it is a much better fit for the accounting profession.
Jody Padar, CPA, also known as “The Radical CPA,” is the co-founder of XcelLabs, a training and technology platform that offers solutions to help accountants use AI to build fluency and strategic thinking. Visit XcelLabs for more information.
This article is provided as a complimentary resource by the PICPA and Jody Padar. Statements of fact and opinion are the author’s responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of CPA Crossings officers or members. The information contained herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For actionable advice, you must engage or consult with a qualified professional.