From Concept to Practice: How AI Needs to Be Embedded, Not Explained
I have been reflecting on the conversations at recent events and with vendors across the last few weeks, one thing has become increasingly clear. The most effective way people are talking about AI is when it is embedded within the product, not when it is treated as an abstract concept.
The difference between explaining AI and enabling it
Too many in the industry are still talking about AI as if it is something accountants need to “implement”, or as if it is a standalone initiative requiring new strategies, frameworks or adoption roadmaps.
But that is not how meaningful technology change works.
Accountants never “implemented open banking”. They used products and systems that were built to take advantage of it. The same needs to happen with AI.
When vendors focus on showing how AI is working within the tools accountants already use, and how.
Agents, automation and the real value of integration
We are seeing some positive progress here.Vendors such as Sage and Access Group are starting to demonstrate what true integration looks like.
At Access Group, the introduction of their AI solution Evo is being thoughtfully rolled out across multiple platforms, each with a clear purpose. At Sage, people like Georgina Timothy are showing how AI agents can enhance the accounting workflow, removing the repetitive thought and doing elements so accountants can focus on judgement, advice and client engagement.
This grounded approach contrasts with the more abstract marketing narratives that still float around the sector. Talking about AI as a concept, rather than showing what it does, risks losing your audience.
Vendors need to lead the way
The truth is that most firms do not have the time, technical capacity or budget to explore third party AI tools or to build custom integrations. That is why the vendor community has such an important role to play over the next one to two years.
Vendors are the ones who can and should take the lead on embedding AI within the products accountants already use, ensuring that the technology integrates seamlessly with practice data and systems.
As explored in a previous newsletter onthe power of independent research, this means understanding how accountants think, work and prioritise. It means developing tools that do not just automate, but that understand the context of the profession they serve.
AI is not the goal. Better outcomes are.
AI is a means to an end, not the end itself.
The best examples of AI adoption in accounting are not the ones shouting about the technology, but the ones quietly transforming workflows, reducing cognitive load and helping professionals deliver better outcomes for their clients.
As one of the insights from our summer research highlighted, accountants are not looking for AI. They are looking for answers, efficiency and relevance. When AI is embedded, they get all three without ever having to ask for it.
Helping vendors understand accountants better
At Principle Point, everything we do is designed to help vendors better understand the accountants and bookkeepers they serve. Because accountants and bookkeepers deserve world class vendors.
That understanding cannot just sit within one part of a vendor’s organisation. It needs to reach across the whole business, from product and development teams, through marketing and sales, to customer success and leadership.
That is why our training programmes are designed specifically for software vendors that want to deepen their connection to the accounting and bookkeeping community.
Our Accountants 101 course introduces the fundamentals of how accountants and bookkeepers work, how they use technology and how they think about their client relationships. It helps vendors and their teams see the world through the practitioner’s eyes.
Finance Function 101 goes a step further. It explores how finance teams operate, how they structure processes and reporting, and what collaboration really looks like inside growing businesses.
And for vendors looking for something more tailored, our Specialised and Bespoke Training programmes allow us to create sessions aligned with your specific product, market or team focus and connecting insight with relevance.
These sessions are built to ensure that everyone in your organisation, from developers to sales teams, can engage with the accounting profession in a more informed and meaningful way.
Bringing it back to the bigger picture
The next phase of AI in accounting will depend on how well vendors can translate innovation into understanding.
Embedding technology is only part of the job. Embedding empathy, knowledge and awareness across your organisation is what will make it stick.
If you want to explore how Principle Point can help your teams bridge that gap — through research, insight or training — we would love to talk.
Read more in my latest newsletter, Listening, Learning and Looking Ahead, or explore our training programmes to see how they can help your teams become world class vendors.