generative ai coming to microsoft 365

 

microsoft is putting a lot of eggs – $10 billion – in the openai basket.

by rick richardson
technology this week

microsoft has recently dominated the tech news cycle as a result of its $10 billion investment in openai, the company that created chatgpt, and a flurry of new products like bing chat. the redmond behemoth isn’t done either; it’s getting ready to introduce a brand-new ai-powered assistant to its office suite.

more tech this week: congress: tax prep companies shared private data with google, meta for years | the first police officer on the scene might be a drone | research: accounting pros cautiously optimistic about generative ai | first e-road charges electric vehicles as they drive | cyber insurance costs rise in health care as attacks soar | phishing attack hackers have a new trick
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dubbed microsoft 365 copilot, the feature will automate tasks like writing emails, summarizing meetings and even making beautiful powerpoint presentations. even though it all seems too good to be true, microsoft’s initial demos show promise.

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congress: tax prep companies shared private data with google, meta for years

former ftc chief says this data breach is a “five-alarm fire.”

by rick richardson
technology this week

a seven-month congressional investigation found that three of the biggest tax preparation firms in the country may have shared americans’ private financial information with google and meta for years in a possible violation of federal law. the information, in some cases, was used for targeted advertising.

more tech this week: the first police officer on the scene might be a drone | electronic skin that can sense touch will transform robotics | chatgpt passes cpa exam on second try | stanford scientists 3d-print heart tissue | four of today’s new technologies that will be tomorrow’s ‘norm’ | cyber insurance costs rise in health care as attacks soar

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the investigation’s findings reveal a “five-alarm fire” for taxpayer privacy that, according to legal experts, could result in public and private lawsuits, criminal penalties or even a “mortal blow” for some major industry players like taxslayer, h&r block and taxact.

“on a scale from one to 10, this is a 15 … this is as great as any privacy breach that i’ve seen other than exploiting kids. this is a five-alarm fire if what we know about this so far is true.”

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the first police officer on the scene might be a drone

the robocops can de-escalate situations and save lives.

by rick richardson
technology this week

in the posh seaside town of santa monica, california, when someone dials 911 for police, a drone is instantly launched from the station’s roof.

officers also respond. however, most of the time, the drone arrives first, flying directly to a set of gps coordinates the controller entered. sometimes, it arrives in less than 30 seconds.

more: electronic skin that can sense touch will transform robotics | what an a.i.-powered workforce means for accountants | smartwatch saves two lives | chatgpt unlikely to replace accountants | looking for investments? check out smart home technology | solar sensors detect wildfires early, saving lives, money | the top hotspot router – and why you need it | chatgpt: what it is. why you need to know.
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“it’s a fundamental change in the way that we can bring policing services to our city,” said peter lashley, a veteran of the force who often pilots the drone from a screen-filled command center inside the police station.
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accounting tech doesn’t have to be daunting

getting unstuck on the tech stack and how to use ai today.

by seth fineberg
analysis & commentary

you’ve probably realized by now that the accounting profession has reached an inflection point. professionals’ trust in the vendors that create and distribute the essential technology they use is strained at best. and with automation once again at the forefront, the very nature of accountant tasks is up for debate.

live chat: watch or listen to the entire flash briefing here.

in short, we needed a non-sponsored, real chat with actual practitioners who, by all accounts, know what it’s like to be a tech-forward accountant. moreover, they know that’s not what the profession is comprised of and, despite being innovative, have struggled with tech adoption over the years. this is what our recent flash briefing, “getting real: the accounting tech decisions you need to make today,” was all about.

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generative ai: should you avoid it or adopt it?

with ai, will it pay to be an early adopter or to be more cautious?

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

when a new technology arises, accounting professionals tend to be skeptical. they are seldom the people who are first to jump on the bandwagon. it’s been true at the introduction of mainframes, when pcs first arrived, when networks were first developed, at the internet’s inception, and during social media’s adoption. so, it’s not surprising to hear that accountants are skeptical of the newest technology, generative artificial intelligence.

while there are certainly issues to be aware of with all new technologies, generative ai tools such as chatgpt have the potential to save employees roughly two hours per day. it makes sense to at least learn about this technology to see if it fits in your firm.

more: now’s the time to clean up your email list | transform your marketing with crm | five kinds of small thinking | five tests: how open are you to change? | maybe price isn’t the problem | three thoughts for a quiet morning | the seven-step plan for marketing by spreadsheet | beyond quickbooks: wowing your clients | 11 ways to boost billings and impress clients
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the term generative ai refers to technology that uses a machine learning model and that contains interactive features such as the ability to chat. one example is chatgpt, which is a public, consumer-based product developed by openai. microsoft’s generative ai product is bing ai, and google’s entry is bard. there are a dozen or so others, but those are the “big three.” these tools are rapidly evolving with new features, capabilities, and content added weekly if not daily.
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the disruptors: al anderson on the new manifesto for accountants

change your firm or go extinct.

subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music and audible, player fm, audacy, gaana (india), and boomplay (africa).

the disruptors
with liz farr

al anderson has been trying to change audit for nearly his entire career and has always been “willing to try things differently.” while he’s always loved auditing – and thinks to this day that auditing can be fun – what he didn’t love was “auditing by doing it the same way every year.” however, he sees far too many firms performing audits the same way they have for decades. anderson believes that “the firms that are unwilling to change eventually are going to be history.”

instant download: al anderson’s “the new manifesto for accountants.

more podcasts and videos:  peter margaritis: the power skills every accountant needs | joe montgomery: find the sweet spot of the right clients, right services and right pricesmarie green: your bad apples are ruining youmegan genest tarnow: hire for curiosity rather than complianceclayton oates: one way to keep clients for liferandy crabtree: follow these three rules to keep employees happyerik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshiftjennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone lovesmike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practiceshector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be freeprivate equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinsonwhen financial statements go extinct with corey schmidtcan geraldine carter save accountants from themselves?re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

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in an effort to combat the rising tide of commoditization of audit and assurance services, anderson has been teaching a revolutionary framework for audit leadership to auditors around the world and has now written a book (to be released later this year by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间) that describes the five attributes of this framework.

these five attributes include:

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should accountancy account for sustainability?

older businessman leaning back thinkingit’s good business, not altruism.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

accounting has long assessed organization sustainability from a financial perspective. it’s always been assumed that if a company can generate revenue, it’s a going concern and will keep “on going.”

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but true, long-term sustainability depends on much more than mere money, according to the association of chartered certified accountants, a global institution with 241,000 members in 178 countries.
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electronic skin that can sense touch will transform robotics

robots with touch-sensing capabilities will be able to interact more intuitively and safely.

by rick richardson
technology this week

in a significant leap forward for wearable technology, a team of researchers at stanford university has made remarkable progress in developing electronic skin that possesses the ability to sense touch. this innovation has the potential to revolutionize industries ranging from healthcare to robotics, opening up new possibilities for human-machine interaction and sensory augmentation.

more tech this week: chatgpt passes cpa exam on second trysmartwatch saves two lives | first e-road charges electric vehicles as they drive | stanford scientists 3d-print heart tissue | four of today’s new technologies that will be tomorrow’s ‘norm’ | cyber insurance costs rise in health care as attacks soar | phishing attack hackers have a new trick
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the electronic skin, known as e-skin, mimics the sensory capabilities of human skin by integrating pressure sensors, stretchable circuitry, and a sophisticated neural network. the team accomplished this feat by combining advanced materials, flexible electronics, and machine learning algorithms. the result is a thin, flexible, and highly sensitive e-skin that can accurately perceive and respond to different levels of pressure and touch.

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firms rev up expansion plans

via canopy

mull new software for remote staff, cas and ai.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

a new survey reveals widespread plans for growth, with firms looking for more staff, more services to offer, and more territory to serve over the next 18 months

more: research: accounting pros cautiously optimistic about generative ai | how auditors can beat ai | how tax practitioners became cybersecurity risks | why the u.s. must act now to protect our online privacy | top tax vendors caught red-handed selling private taxpayer data
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in a time when qualified professionals are scarce, a staggering 85 percent of firms say they will definitely or probably be hiring more remote staff with flexible work arrangements, according to the poll of 250 firms by the practice management software company canopy.

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what an a.i.-powered workforce means for accountants

ready or not, ai is here to stay.

by rick richardson
technology this week

the complicated relationship that humanity has had with its technological creations throughout time has shaped many executives’ views on adapting to change and remaining in demand in any industry or profession. the various cycles of emerging technology always enlighten, frighten and inspire the masses until we adjust and change our mindsets to embrace the disruption.

more: chatgpt passes cpa exam on second try | smartwatch saves two lives | chatgpt unlikely to replace accountantslooking for investments? check out smart home technology | solar sensors detect wildfires early, saving lives, money
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even though it has been present for decades, artificial intelligence (ai) is currently promoted as the dramatic change that threatens to upend our society. people are terrified as they try to imagine how it will change the way they live their lives, how they view their employment and what the future of their professions might bring. read more →

research: accounting pros cautiously optimistic about generative ai

expert says we must work together to balance the benefits of technology and unintended consequences.

by rick richardson
technology this week

thomson reuters, a global content and technology company, recently released new research on generative ai that gauged the sentiment of professionals across legal, tax, and accounting firms in the united states, the united kingdom, and canada. the research sought to understand better how the technology is perceived and applied within the professional services industry. the report uncovered a mix of optimism and caution in adopting generative ai. 

more tech this week: chatgpt passes cpa exam on second trysmartwatch saves two lives | first e-road charges electric vehicles as they drive | stanford scientists 3d-print heart tissue | four of today’s new technologies that will be tomorrow’s ‘norm’ | cyber insurance costs rise in health care as attacks soar | phishing attack hackers have a new trick
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

“generative ai can disrupt and redefine the professional landscape, but it is clear from our findings that there is a trust gap with professionals,” said steve hasker, president and ceo of thomson reuters. “the future of professional work is set to be revolutionized by generative ai, and as an industry, we need to work together to find the right balance between the benefits of technology and any unintended consequences. we believe this will help our customers first to trust the transformative power of generative ai and then harness the opportunity to shape the future of their professions.”

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jody padar: build a practice that works for you, not vice-versa. 

if you can’t change your pricing or your customers, it doesn’t matter how efficient you are

subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music and audible, player fm, audacy, gaana (india), and boomplay (africa).

the disruptors
with liz farr for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

jody padar, the author of the radical cpa, has been shaking things up in the accounting world for years. but today, firms are at a boiling point, limited by supply and demand. “you only have so many people doing the work. and what are you going to do? you can’t make the work up. it’s got to get done,” padar said.

more: jody padar here

podcasts and videos:  peter margaritis: the power skills every accountant needs | joe montgomery: find the sweet spot of the right clients, right services and right pricesmarie green: your bad apples are ruining youmegan genest tarnow: hire for curiosity rather than complianceclayton oates: one way to keep clients for liferandy crabtree: follow these three rules to keep employees happyerik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshiftjennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone lovesmike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practiceshector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be freeprivate equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinsonwhen financial statements go extinct with corey schmidtcan geraldine carter save accountants from themselves?re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the old business model was taking whoever walked in and billing by the hour. but today, we don’t have the capacity. “there’s so much work out there,” she explained.  “i have not heard any accountants say that they are looking for work. they’re all saying, ‘stop, go away. i don’t have the resources to serve you.’”
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