How CPAs Can Start Building a Better Relationship With AI
The AI tsunami is here, and if you’re a CPA, accountant, bookkeeper, or advisor, your tech stack is probably going to keep changing.
In this episode, I talk with Rudy Pokorny, creator of Everyday AI, about how to move from feeling like AI is a stranger to using it as a confident daily partner.
Rudy’s background is a little different. After spending decades as a documentary producer, he built systems for multiple businesses and now teaches professionals how to use AI in a practical, approachable way.
What I appreciated most is that Rudy doesn’t teach AI as just another tool to memorize. Instead, he teaches it as a relationship. You start by getting comfortable, asking questions, and learning how it responds. Over time, you build trust, test the answers, and begin using it as a thinking partner.
That matters because the software will keep changing. New platforms will appear, existing tools will improve, and AI-driven features will continue showing up inside accounting and tax software. However, if you understand how to work with AI, ask better questions, check its work, and stay in control of the process, you’ll be much better prepared for whatever comes next.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What CPAs need to understand before choosing AI-driven software
- Why AI should be treated as a working relationship, not just a tool
- How to move from overwhelmed to confident
- Why basic AI skills can make you a better user of accounting and tax platforms
- How to use AI without giving up oversight or common sense
- Why you should check AI’s answers and compare responses across platforms
- How firms can begin preserving knowledge as people retire or roles change
AI won’t do the thinking for you. You still have to steer the ship. But once you learn how to work with it, AI can help you save time, think more clearly, and stay prepared for the changes already coming into the accounting industry.
Choose one thing from this episode and try it. Ask AI a better question, have it ask you questions, test the answer, and start building the relationship.
People Also Ask
How can CPAs start using AI?
Start by treating AI as a thinking partner. Ask simple questions, test the answers, and get comfortable with how it responds before trying to use it for more complex work.
Why do CPAs need to learn basic AI skills?
Basic AI skills help you ask better questions, understand AI-driven software, check results, and make better decisions about which tools belong in your firm.
Can AI replace judgment in accounting?
No. AI can help with research, organization, drafting, and repetitive work, but you still need professional judgment, oversight, common sense, and client-specific knowledge.
How should accountants check AI’s answers?
Review the answer yourself, ask AI to check its own work, and compare responses across tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity when the answer really matters.
What is the best way to get comfortable with AI?
Use it regularly. Ask it questions, have it ask you questions, and practice on low-risk tasks until the process feels more natural and useful.