The 2019 BBC series Years and Years presented a vision of the near future where, due to advances in technology, a chief accountant was demoted to an office cleaner in just over a decade. As with other things in that drama, the idea isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. Research from Oxford University published in 2015 estimates that accountants face a 93.5% probability of being made redundant by technology. This makes sobering reading for those of us planning to make a living as an accountant. If machines are going to make us redundant, will we need to find other work to do? The answer is yes. And no. As accounting software becomes more sophisticated, the need for accounting knowledge and human intervention reduces dramatically. Companies such as Xero already offer ‘intelligent bookkeeping’ which is learning how to process invoices, perform bank reconciliations and submit VAT Returns. ACCA’s 2019 report, Machine learning: more science than fiction , describes how Artificial Intelligence is already outperforming human accountants in fraud detection and tax advice. In recognition of this inevitability, ACCA, CIMA and ICAEW have been reassessing how an accountant can continue to add value in the modern business environment. If accountancy is ‘ the sourcing, analysis, communication and use of decision-relevant financial and non-financial information to generate and preserve value for organisations ,’ they have concluded that the focus for accountants needs to shift from the sourcing and analysis of information (which technology out-performs humans at) to its communication and use. All the institutes see this, not as a radical redefinition of what it means to be an accountant, but a natural evolution to meet the demands of a changing environment. In order to equip the accountants of tomorrow with the skills they will need, these institutes have made significant changes to their professional exams. While this will ensure the survival of the professional accountant, those of us who are already qualified will need to catch up or there is a real risk we could end up as the office cleaners… Bibliography Frey, C.B., Osborne, M.A., The future of employment: how susceptible are jobs to computerisation? , 17th Sep 2013, Oxford Martin Programme on Technology and Employment, University of Oxford. https://bit.ly/2SeBjlT Vaidyanathan, N., Machine learning: more science than fiction , April 2019, ACCA. https://bit.ly/2SCoP6o CGMA, Guide to the global management accounting principles , October 2014, AICPA. https://bit.ly/2UGS3nm