Important
AI will have a profound impact on almost every facet of our personal, employment and business lives. In my own business, we are not waiting for the wave to hit — we are already in the surf.
There has been plenty of hype about artificial intelligence lately, and every time I post something on the topic, I get a wave of commentary on social media. Let me be clear: I am not trying to be alarmist. I am trying to make people think.
I am putting down a big bet on this: AI will have a profound impact on almost every facet of our personal, employment and business lives. That is not a maybe — it is a certainty.
Yes, there are challenges like energy use and infrastructure that need to be solved, but make no mistake — they will be solved. This breakthrough is too important for governments, business, and the brightest minds on the planet to ignore. The AI wave is coming, whether we are ready or not.
AI vs Automation — Understanding the Difference
The word “AI” gets thrown around like it is some kind of magic. But here is the truth: much of the real change in the short term will come from automation, not AI itself.
AI is the tool to use that sets up the automation, and once it is in place, automation is what drives consistency, efficiency, and ease. The magic comes from applying AI and automation together — not from expecting AI to simply solve everything at the push of a button.
And yes, sometimes the first result is rubbish. That is not the end of the process. The real power comes when you ask follow-up questions, push back, and probe the system. “That does not make sense — explain it again.” That is when the breakthroughs come.
It is a case of “garbage in, garbage out.” If you give poor instructions, you will get poor results. But if you get good at asking, refining, and reworking, the results can be extraordinary.
How We Are Using AI Right Now
In my own business, we are not waiting for the wave to hit — we are already in the surf.
Polishing Communications
Any template, letter, or email is run through AI to refine the language, improve clarity, and ensure consistency across the team.
Practical Training
Twice a month — on the first and third Tuesday — we run “AI in Action” sessions. Just 15 minutes, but entirely practical. We explore how prompts work, how to set up instructions and projects. Which platforms are best for which tasks.
This is not theoretical. It is about giving the team hands-on experience in applying AI tools to real business tasks. It is about embedding automation and AI in our business and at the forefront of our employees’ minds.
Systems, Processes, and Procedures
One of the biggest benefits we are seeing is in documenting and refining our systems. Every process in our practice is being reviewed and reworked with AI’s help.
- Record a discussion about how a task is done.
- Feed the transcript into an AI model.
- Get back a step-by-step procedure, ordered and clear.
- Review, refine, and roll it out.
The result is smoother onboarding for staff and clients, less confusion, and a stronger foundation for future automation.
Building Our Own Dashboard
Perhaps the most exciting project we are working on is our internal dashboard.
As an accounting practice, we deal with data and documents from ATO, ASIC, Revenue NSW, and countless entities. Our goal is to bring all of this into one central, easy-to-use dashboard for clients.
In the past, this would have required hiring a programmer to build from scratch. Today, natural language tools can generate the code for us. We do not need to be coders. We just need to be clear about what we want.
That is the power of AI — it opens up possibilities for every business, not just those with a tech team in sneakers and hoodies.
The Takeaway
I will double down on my call: AI is not optional. It is going to shape every business and every job in the next three to five years.
It is not too late to start now. But if you wait, you will be playing catch-up while your competitors surge ahead.
The message is simple:
- Do not expect magic.
- Do expect disruption.
- And most importantly — get on board and get involved.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances. It is not financial or tax advice. You should seek independent advice from a qualified professional before making decisions about tax, legal or financial planning matters, along with loan structures or entity structure.
