IAI: Accountancy profession will not be replaced by AI

The Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Accountants (IAI) Central Java Region, Hendri Santosa, is confident that the accountancy profession will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

“So, accountants are now facing extraordinary challenges with the remarkable development of information technology, AI,” he said in Semarang on Saturday.

He made the remarks at a national seminar themed “Building Public Trust through Transparency of Government and Business Entities: Transparency and Accountability as the Foundation of Public Trust”.

The seminar was organised by IAI Central Java together with the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK) and Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula) Semarang.

If the presence of AI is not accompanied by good ethics on the part of an accountant, he said, financial manipulation could occur.

“You input the figures, ask the AI, and it can produce output according to our wishes. Now, if it is not prepared properly, that is the risk,” he said.

In fact, he said, the heavy challenge ahead for the accountancy profession relates to ethics, morality, integrity and honesty.

According to him, the presence of AI has also led many young people today to be reluctant to pursue accountancy because they assume the profession will be displaced by technology.

However, he stressed that an accountant must possess “judgement” — an assessment, opinion, consideration or decision that AI does not have.

“So it cannot be replaced by AI. Because there is expertise there, ‘judgement’, a consideration that a robot cannot possess. A robot, if it goes right, it keeps going right,” he said.

Meanwhile, BPK Member III Prof. Dr. Akhsanul Khaq acknowledged that AI now poses a distinct challenge for the auditing and accountancy professions.

“Recently I have also been observing the use of AI to conduct performance audits. Now, is this a sign that the auditing profession could be replaced by AI?” he said.

If the auditing profession could be replaced by AI, he said, what about the accountancy profession as the preparer of financial statements?

However, Government Regulation No. 43/2025 on Financial Reporting now requires that the preparation of financial statements be carried out by competent, professional personnel with integrity in the field of accounting, evidenced by professional certifications such as Chartered Accountant (CA) or accountant registration.

“So, with that, Alhamdulillah, the legitimacy of the accountancy profession is becoming increasingly stronger,” he said.