Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARY 9, 2026 19 FOCUS | ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTING | TAX | ADVISORY Citrin Cooperman is one of the nation's largest professional services firms, helping middle-market companies and high- net-worth individuals with innovative guidance. Whether your operations and assets are located around the corner or across the globe, we provide new perspectives and comprehensive solutions that will help you achieve your short- and long-term goals. Learn More Woodbridge Office: 1 Bradley Rd, Building 600, Woodbridge, CT 06525 (203) 387-0852 Providing Professional Services & Industry Insights for Over 45 Years CITRINCOOPERMAN.COM with the tool, it's almost guaranteed to fail because you'll get sucked into a trap that doesn't necessarily meet your long-term goals." CLA, similar to other firms, has already rolled out Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Power Platform to all of its employees for general use. Krueger said the next wave involves custom-built tools devel- oped in-house, including one for the firm's scheduling system. "It takes the data for the almost 9,000 people that we have, all the different client needs that we have, and does something that would be impossible for any individual person — figures out a way to optimize and make sure we're bringing the right people to the right client need at the right time," he said. CLA is also taking a method- ical approach to adoption, using in-person, case-study-based training for early-stage employees, which Krueger said has boosted confi- dence and AI skills. And while he agrees that confi- dentiality is a non-negotiable for any AI tools the firm adopts, he's less focused on 100% accuracy, because there will always be a human check in the loop. "I've seen accuracy become a trap at a lot of organizations that are looking to do more with technology but still unsure where to start," he said. "I tend to think predictability is much more important than accuracy because whether it's a new associate doing something, a seasoned asso- ciate doing something, or technology helping with something, either way it needs somebody to be reviewing that and ensuring the accuracy before it goes out the door." New workforce expectations Meantime, there's general agree- ment across the profession that while the intent is not to replace accountants, technological change is altering the skill level that new hires need — and hence changing the dynamic for accounting education in the very near future. "If you educate them the same way, they're not going to be ready to start working for us," says Whittlesey's Andrews. "Instead of the first-year person that starts, they're going to have to be at the level of a three- to four-year person that we have now." Andrews said he has seen more change in the profession in the past three years than in the previous 30, and he does not expect the pace to slow. "What accounting is going to look like in three to five years is going to be totally different than what it looks like today," he said. AI USE IN ACCOUNTING FIRMS 2025 Thomson Reuters Institute survey findings METRIC VALUE Firms already using GenAI technology 21% Firms planning or considering GenAI adoption 53% Firms with no plans to use GenAI 25% Survey respondents using open-source GenAI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) 52% Respondents using industry-specific AI tools 17% Notes: GenAI refers to generative AI technologies such as large language models. Results are from an online survey of 1,702 respondents conducted in January and February 2025. | Source: 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report from Thomson Reuters Institute Rick Krueger

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