Meet Josi: The AI Revolution for Accounting Professionals

From Research to Advisory: How AI Frees Up Time for Strategy

The accounting profession is embracing AI for smarter research and advisory capabilities. In late October 2025, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) introduced Josi, a generative AI-powered research assistant tailored for accounting professionals. Built on a large language model, Josi provides fast, secure access to the AICPA's extensive library of over 40,000 accounting and auditing publications, including professional standards and guides. Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, Josi draws exclusively from this vetted content, ensuring that answers are accurate, authoritative, and up-to-date. The tool was developed in collaboration with tech partners Slalom and Microsoft, designed specifically to streamline how CPAs research complex questions and retrieve guidance in their field.

Key Features of Josi

• Automated document generation: Josi can draft standard accounting documents like engagement letters, saving practitioners time on routine paperwork.
• Instant technical research: It answers complex accounting or auditing questions by pulling directly from relevant standards and literature within seconds, acting as a virtual on-demand research assistant.
• Integrated standards access: The tool provides one-stop access to authoritative resources (e.g., FASB Accounting Standards Codification and PCAOB audit standards) through its chat interface, simplifying how users navigate technical rules.
• Regulatory update support: Josi helps firms prepare for new compliance requirements (such as upcoming quality management standards changes) by quickly summarizing what's needed and pointing to the right guidance.

Why It Matters for Accountants

Josi's launch highlights a push to boost efficiency and accuracy in the accounting profession using AI. By leveraging a curated knowledge base, the tool reduces the hours accountants spend sifting through manuals or online databases for guidance. This is especially valuable for smaller firms, which can now access a "virtual research department" without the budget of a Big Four firm. As AICPA executive Tom Hood noted, "CPAs need a fast, modern way to find answers to their most pressing accounting and auditing questions, and Josi is tailor‑made to fill that need".

In practical terms, practitioners can obtain reliable answers more quickly and devote more time to advising clients or analyzing complex issues, rather than poring over dense technical documents. Importantly, all queries and data stay within AICPA’s secure environment, alleviating confidentiality concerns that come with using public AI chatbots. By obtaining trustworthy information on demand, accountants can confidently address emerging issues and complex standards, knowing the guidance is both up-to-date and sourced from official sources. This not only boosts productivity but also enables professionals to provide informed advice more quickly in a fast-paced business climate.

Broader Industry Context

The introduction of Josi reflects a larger trend of digital transformation in accounting. Automation and AI are streamlining routine compliance tasks, allowing accountants to pivot toward more strategic, advisory work. In fact, about 70% of U.S. accounting firms now use AI tools at least weekly, and 78% plan to increase their AI investment over the next three years. Many firms' most common uses of AI are research and document summarization, as these tools can dramatically compress the time from asking a technical question to getting a well-sourced answer.

This efficiency boost comes at a pivotal time: 94% of U.S. accounting firms now offer advisory or consulting services, up from 52% just a year prior. By automating the "manual grind" of data gathering and analysis, tools like Josi free up accountants to focus on higher-value insights and client guidance – the areas where human judgment adds the most value. Overall, this development shows how the accounting field is proactively embracing technology not only to improve productivity but also to enhance the quality and scope of services offered.