Is AI contributing to CPA burnout or making us more productive?

Whether you’re all in on artificial intelligence or think it’s going to end civilization as we know it, it’s clear the professional workplace will never be the same. 

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A recent Wall Street Journal report concluded that artificial intelligence boosts individual productivity and significantly cuts down on repetitive tasks. Yet the report said it also increases work intensity, pace and cognitive pressure for most employees.

The annual CPA Career Satisfaction survey that I co-author echoed the Journal‘s sentiment. For instance, nine in 10 accountants (92%) told us they expected AI to benefit their firms long-term. But over the near term, most respondents felt AI would contribute to personal stress and burnout risk in the short run. For instance, while only one in five (20%) feared losing their job or being demoted, nearly three in five (56%) said they were “very concerned” about the endless learning curve needed to keep up with AI developments and options. One in three (31%) felt that the scope of what counted as “their job” had expanded exponentially, another third (30%) were frustrated by the lack of reliable training/resources for using AI better and at least one in five respondents felt their workday never ended. 

Many respondents complained about “the constant interruptions” that AI imposed on their workflow. One respondent also felt “perpetually behind because I’m not learning or incorporating AI enough.” Or “I don’t have enough time to learn how to efficiently and reliably utilize, vet and review AI,” lamented another. Several more respondents said they were highly concerned about privacy and security: “It’s unclear how we incorporate AI without giving models our client’s private data,” said one.

Work Intensification

A recent University of California, Berkeley study identified three main forms of “work intensification” driven by AI:

1. Job scope expanded. Employees began taking on work that previously belonged to someone else or might not have been attempted at all. The scope of “my job” widened considerably as one-third of accountants we surveyed strongly agreed. 
2. Less downtime. Because AI makes it easy to start and continue tasks, work “seeped” into moments that used to function as healthy pauses in the workday such as during lunch, before meetings or in the evening. It seems AI is dissolving natural stopping points in the workday, which mirrored our own survey’s findings (see above). 
3. Multitasking. Workers increasingly keep multiple threads alive at once, running AI processes in the background while reviewing code, drafting documents or attending meetings.  This creates an unhealthy situation in which both workers and machines are constantly in motion.

Our CPA Career Satisfaction survey also uncovered lots of handwringing about the lack of AI policies at accounting firms. As one respondent lamented: “Our firm is still in the Wild West. I keep imploring for AI policies to be communicated and am told ‘we are working on it.’ I have people using everything possible.” Said another: “Audit clients are using AI to develop procedures or policies that they don’t read or understand.”

As the Cal Berkeley study noted, expectations of productivity gradually reset thanks to AI. “What was once considered extra effort becomes standard performance,” and that’s where a vicious cycle can form. Researchers said constant switching and reduced recovery over time can “impair judgment and increase errors,” making it difficult for organizations to distinguish genuine productivity gains from unsustainable intensity. Our survey findings mirrored this frustration. As one respondent observed: “Clients are running their issues through (with poor prompts) and getting erroneous answers, and we need to convince them they are wrong.” Another respondent resented the amount of time they had to spend “double checking the AI to find that AI was wrong and having to do the research myself.”

I’m also concerned about AI creating downward pressure on pricing for accounting firms. If clients sense that routine work is taking CPAs less time, they will expect lower bills. Many accountants will try to fill that “freed-up” time with other work. That may be fine if that additional work is for higher-value advisory tasks. But if we keep working the same hours, reduce fees for tax returns, and replace those hours with lower-value work, we’ll only add to worker stress.

Productive uses of AI for accounting professionals

Despite the added stress, AI offers real benefits when used correctly. A number of vendors are using AI to automate much of the upfront tax preparation work that previously required significant “people time,” such as streamlining data collection, populating tax returns and encouraging more clients to upload documents through firm portals. This allows tax preparers to focus more on review rather than data entry.

Meanwhile, AI is moving into the general ledger itself. Tools are available to automate transaction categorization, account reconciliation and much of the monthly close. They’re keeping client books current in almost real time and shifting staff time away from data entry toward review and client conversations. One vendor describes its approach as “self-driving bookkeeping,” while another calls its product an “autonomous general ledger.”

AI is also making tax research faster and easier, simplifying notetaking from client meetings, and generating follow-up action items. Tools are out there that can gather and summarize client communications, then identify upselling opportunities or draft follow-up emails. AI has also made documenting Standard Operating Procedures significantly easier.

What young accountants need to learn

Prompting skills will become increasingly important. Knowing how to get the most out of AI is crucial. Ultimately, you’ll be responsible for training your AI agents to understand what you’re really looking for. Equally important is critical thinking. You can’t blindly trust AI output. You must get in the habit of verifying, researching and maintaining healthy skepticism about AI output, just as you would when reviewing a company’s financials.

AI is still a machine, not a thinking, feeling human being. Technical skills will always matter, but we must get better at the nontechnical skills machines lack, particularly communication. Many accountants are more comfortable working behind a computer, preparing tax returns. That’s changing. Now you need to explain returns and advise clients directly. I believe this shift will attract a new breed of talented,  people-oriented professionals who never previously considered accounting careers.

The decision tree for AI tools has gotten very large. With options ranging from ChatGPT and Claude to industry-specific tax AI, just figuring out the right tool to use and finding time to experiment is causing real fatigue. Again, that’s the “endless learning curve” feeling that our survey uncovered, combined with the lack of reliable AI training courses. Today, we’re mostly learning how to use AI through trial and error and by comparing notes with friends and colleagues. An added challenge: You’re generally not permitted to input confidential client data into most general AI platforms, which limits useful experimentation.

Adjusting your work routine in today’s AI age

1. Build intentional pauses into the workday so speed doesn’t crowd out reflection.
2. Instead of reacting to every AI-generated output immediately, batch non-urgent updates, protect focus windows and let work move forward in coherent phases rather than constant interruption.
3. Protect time for check-ins, shared reflection and dialogue, so work doesn’t become all consuming. 
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re a manager, make sure your team feels safe doing the same. As our CPA Career Satisfaction survey shows, accountants at firms that make mental health resources readily available (without stigma) are significantly more likely to find their careers rewarding and less likely to leave the profession.

AI holds real promise for accounting professionals, but only if we adopt it thoughtfully. Prioritize sustainable work habits, protect recovery time, invest in human skills and remember: Productivity gains mean nothing if they come at the cost of your wellbeing.