Automation and the changing role of accountants - Highlights from MYOB Incite

MYOB's Incite event kicked off in Auckland yesterday at the Viaduct Events Centre with over 300 accounting partners and bookkeepers turning up.

The Auckland event was first of three national Incite events, with two more happening in Wellington and Christchurch. 

Featuring a keynote from Paralympian-turned-artificial intelligence-advocate Liam Malone, the event offered accountants and bookkeepers a look at how automation is disrupting industries everywhere and what they could do to cope.

CEO Tim Reed spoke on the dangers of being resistant to change and avoiding technological development, the potential effects of the coming wave of automation, and how accountants have to work in a more advisory capacity - more of this in our upcoming article with him.

MYOB also announced new features they would be adding to the cloud accounting software to help accountants cope with upcoming regulation changes such as AIM reporting and Pay Day PAYE.

Here are some highlights from the event:

.@TimReedMYOB says he's not afraid of mass #unemployment arising from #AI. #myobincite pic.twitter.com/XxNP3CrHjd

— Kp (@_kpricious) February 14, 2018

"Cutting edge tech is called cutting edge because it can hurt to adopt but it also means you have the cutting edge to compete" - Liam Malone #myobincite

— Kevin Soo (@kevsoo) February 14, 2018

@LiamMalone93 telling a very moving story about learning a great deal about not avoiding the issue. #myobincite

— Ben Paul (@BenPaul_BOFT) February 14, 2018

.@TimReedMYOB's vision for the #connectedpractice: accountants will be at the centre of clients' financial outcomes more than ever before #myobincite

— Kp (@_kpricious) February 14, 2018

Hey NZ accountants AIM is coming, @Andrea_s_ho is ready with our software, "now it's up to you to get involved" #myobincite Auckland pic.twitter.com/I6jDhRUuQ3

— Jane Betschel (@MissJane) February 14, 2018