Sep 10, 2026 · 1h 13m
AI raises the value of accounting judgment
EY to Bonus Staff $100M, Deloitte Pays $21M to Settle DEI Case
As AI handles more accounting tasks, firms must decide where automation ends and professional accountability begins.
- 1AI can accelerate bookkeeping and tax preparation, but professionals still need to verify adjustments, workpapers, and final outputs.
- 2EY’s $100 million bonus plan rewards human judgment, while Deloitte’s settlement highlights the legal risks surrounding workplace DEI practices.
- 3Falling IRS enforcement and global accounting-firm pressures are reshaping staffing, pay, liability, and the profession’s operating model.
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The hosts examine flawed AI-generated cost-segregation reports and explain why professional validation remains essential.
The brief
AI-assisted bookkeeping and tax preparation are moving from experiment to workflow, but the hosts stress that adjustments, workpapers, and conclusions still require human review.
EY’s planned $100 million in bonuses for judgment and error-spotting makes the industry’s central AI question explicit: how should firms reward people who challenge automated work?
The episode widens its lens to Deloitte’s $21.5 million DEI settlement, PwC’s Evergrande liability case, KPMG Australia layoffs, and a sharp decline in IRS examination revenue.
AI-generated cost-segregation reports provide the clearest warning: flawed outputs can look professional, but defensible depreciation studies still depend on licensed engineering and accounting expertise.
Jordan Sublette describes a staffing model spanning offshore, nearshore, and onshore talent as firms confront shortages, regional constraints, and the need to build teams across time zones.