Real Life Ways Accountants Use AI, How Sage Will Eliminate the Close

Blake and David return from Sage Future 2025 with insights into how AI is reshaping accounting—from eliminating the financial close to real-world use cases. They also cover Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public breakup, the latest in Deel’s corporate spying allegations, Deloitte’s unapologetically intense work-life balance ad, and a billion-dollar “AI” startup that turned out to be powered by humans.

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(00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast

(01:02) - AI in Accounting: Real-World Examples

(05:08) - Sage Intacct Roadmap and AI Innovations

(12:02) - AI's Impact on Accounting Jobs

(18:33) - AI in Auditing: Tools and Trends

(26:54) - Internal Audit and AI Adoption

(32:36) - Elon Musk and Donald Trump Fallout

(35:43) - Impact of Tariffs and Political Alliances

(37:03) - Rippling vs. Deel: Allegations and Legal Battles

(40:45) - Deloitte's Work-Life Balance Ad Controversy

(43:10) - Accounting Profession's Retention and Salary Issues

(46:43) - CPA Title Removal Debate

(49:23) - 150-Hour Rule and Master's Degree Debate

(52:56) - Trump-Musk Fallout and Its Implications

(01:01:07) - Alliant Group and IRS Commissioner Controversy

(01:05:14) - AI Startup Fraud Exposed

(01:07:08) - Conclusion and Announcements

Show Notes

Real-life ways accountants are using AI
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2025/jun/real-life-ways-accountants-are-using-ai/

Fieldguide Introduces Industry-Leading Agentic AI for Financial Audit to Improve Quality and Efficiency
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/06/04/3093606/0/en/Fieldguide-Introduces-Industry-Leading-Agentic-AI-for-Financial-Audit-to-Improve-Quality-and-Efficiency.html

Fieldguide launches AI agent to automate audit testing
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/fieldguide-launches-ai-agent-to-automate-audit-testing

How KPMG is using AI to revamp their audit practice
https://www.cfo.com/news/how-kpmg-thomas-mackenzie-is-using-clara-ai-to-revamp-their-audit-practice-/748316/

KPMG Advances AI Integration in KPMG Clara Smart Audit Platform
https://kpmg.com/us/en/media/news/kpmg-clara-smart-audit-platform.html

Ex-PwC Partner Says AI Is Coming For Big 4 Jobs in a Big Way
https://www.goingconcern.com/ex-pwc-partner-says-ai-is-coming-for-big-4-jobs-in-a-big-way/

PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2025/ai-linked-to-a-fourfold-increase-in-productivity-growth.html

From bros to foes: how the unlikely Trump-Musk relationship imploded
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bros-foes-how-unlikely-trump-musk-relationship-imploded-2025-06-06/

Deloitte's Latest Ad Promises Clients Their People Have No Life Whatsoever and Are Always Eager to Serve https://www.goingconcern.com/deloittes-latest-ad-promises-clients-their-people-have-no-life-whatsoever-and-are-always-eager-to-serve/

Microsoft backed this $1.5 billion AI startup that was just discovered to be 700 engineers pretending to be AI https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/builder-ai-collapse-microsoft-backed-fake-ai-services

Builder.ai faked AI with 700 engineers, now faces bankruptcy and probe
https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/builderai-faked-ai-700-indian-engineers-files-bankruptcy-microsoft-125060401006_1.html

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