ATL267

ATL267 – AI Is the Ultimate Accounting Assistant, Part Two

Guest: Sasha Orloff, Co-founder and CEO of Puzzle

Hosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA

Program: Accounting Technology Lab, presented by CPA Practice Advisor

Episode length: Approximately 10 minutes

Episode Summary

In part two of the conversation with Puzzle co-founder and CEO Sasha Orloff, the Accounting Technology Lab examines how accounting professionals can begin adopting artificial intelligence without abandoning their existing knowledge, systems, or professional judgment.

Orloff recommends starting with a difficult but low-risk problem rather than using AI only for trivial experiments. Accountants should remove client-identifying information, use personal or anonymized data, and practice explaining a task as clearly as they would to a highly capable new employee who lacks accounting experience. A prompt, in this context, becomes much like a detailed checklist: it defines the expected steps, safeguards, and outcome.

The discussion also distinguishes helpful AI assistance from uncontrolled automation. Puzzle’s approach allows agents to prepare work while requiring human approval before anything is posted to the ledger. Randy Johnston emphasizes that the profession does not need technology that eliminates accountants; it needs technology that makes accountants more effective.

Orloff argues that firms creating a safe culture of experimentation will improve productivity, profitability, and client service. Brian Tankersley closes with a challenge to accounting leaders: become sufficiently familiar with AI to evaluate solutions intelligently, guide employees, and lead clients through change. The central message is simple—AI adoption does not require reckless transformation, but it does require action.

Key Episode Themes

• Begin with meaningful work. Testing AI on an authentic, complicated problem reveals more than asking it to perform a novelty task.
• Use low-risk information. Remove client names, confidential information, personally identifiable information, and other sensitive data before experimenting.
• Treat prompts as process documentation. AI performs better when instructions describe each step, decision, constraint, and expected output.
• Keep accountants in control. AI can draft transactions, reconciliations, analyses, and journal entries, but accountable professionals should review and approve the results.
• Create a culture of experimentation. Firm leaders should give employees permission and guardrails to explore AI safely.
• Leadership requires firsthand knowledge. Accountants do not have to adopt every AI product, but they need enough experience to distinguish practical capabilities from marketing claims.

Catchy Video Quotes

Start with Something Difficult

Sasha Orloff – 00:58

“Give it something really hard and obscure.”

This quote challenges accountants to move beyond superficial AI experiments and test the technology on work that genuinely consumes time.

Explain the Process Completely

Sasha Orloff – 01:50

“Learn how to really articulate your judgment in a way that is just like you would explain to a brand-new, super-smart person who doesn’t know anything about accounting.”

This captures the relationship between effective prompting, process documentation, and professional judgment.

Experiment Without Risking Client Data

Sasha Orloff – 02:14

“Take something that’s low risk, but something hard, and put it in.”

This is a practical starting point for firms developing responsible AI experimentation policies.

The Accountant Remains Responsible

Brian Tankersley – 05:10

“You are still the boss.”

A concise reminder that AI should support, rather than replace, professional oversight.

AI Should Improve Accountants

Randy Johnston – 05:43

“The profession really doesn’t need AI that removes the accountant; it needs AI that makes the accountant better.”

This is one of the episode’s strongest statements about the appropriate role of AI in accounting.

Accountability Cannot Be Automated Away

Randy Johnston – 06:03

“AI can’t be accountable by itself.”

The quote highlights why human review, governance, and approval remain essential in financial reporting.

Adoption Is Still Within Reach

Sasha Orloff – 07:27

“It is not too late. Just get started, and have fun and enjoy it.”

This offers encouragement to professionals who believe they have already fallen behind.

Make AI a Helpful Assistant

Sasha Orloff – 07:40

“It doesn’t have to be Agent Smith. It can be Q from James Bond.”

Orloff reframes AI from a threatening autonomous character into a helpful technologist who equips professionals to perform better.

Leaders Must Act

Brian Tankersley – 08:42

“You need to get your hands dirty.”

Tankersley argues that leaders need direct experience with AI before they can effectively evaluate products or guide their firms.

Do Something

Brian Tankersley – 09:27

“You don’t have to do what we tell you to do, but please do something.”

This provides a strong closing call to action for accounting professionals and firm leaders.

Suggested Episode Highlights

• Sasha Orloff explains why accountants should test AI on difficult, meaningful tasks.
• Detailed prompts function like checklists for accounting processes.
• Firms should experiment only with anonymized, nonconfidential information.
• Puzzle’s agents require approval before posting changes to the ledger.
• AI should enhance accountants rather than remove them from the process.
• Accountants retain responsibility for judgment, review, and accountability.
• Firm leaders must establish guardrails that make safe experimentation acceptable.
• Practical AI productivity in accounting is beginning to move beyond novelty.
• Professionals who learn now may gain improvements in margins, capacity, and service.
• Accounting leaders must develop enough firsthand knowledge to evaluate AI vendors critically.

1. CPAFirm
2. ClientAccountingServices
3. CAS
4. MonthEndClose
5. ProfessionalJudgment
6. ResponsibleAI
7. HumanInTheLoop
8. DigitalTransformation
9. PracticeManagement
10. PromptEngineering
11. AccountingPodcast
12. Puzzle

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Products, Services, and Companies Mentioned

Product, service, or company	Context in the episode	X	Facebook	LinkedIn																																																																	Verification note: Social-media availability and account names can change. Puzzle’s website links directly to its LinkedIn and X accounts. Suggested Newsletter Copy AI Should Make the Accountant Better How should an accounting firm begin using artificial intelligence without risking client information, disrupting established systems, or surrendering professional control? In ATL267, AI Is the Ultimate Accounting Assistant, Part Two, hosts Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley continue their conversation with Sasha Orloff, co-founder and CEO of Puzzle. Orloff recommends starting with a difficult but low-risk task. Remove confidential information and explain the process to AI as though training a highly capable new employee. This turns the prompt into a detailed checklist that captures the accountant’s process and judgment. The discussion also emphasizes that AI should prepare work—not assume accountability. Reconciliations, transaction classifications, and journal entries can be drafted by agents, but accountants must remain responsible for review and approval. The episode concludes with a challenge to firm leaders. You do not need to purchase every new AI platform, but you do need enough firsthand experience to evaluate tools, establish appropriate safeguards, and lead your team through change. Suggested Short Episode Description Sasha Orloff of Puzzle joins Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley for the second half of their discussion about AI’s role in accounting. The group explains how firms can begin experimenting safely, why prompts resemble detailed process checklists, and why accountants must retain responsibility for every AI-assisted outcome. They also challenge firm leaders to move beyond observation, gain firsthand experience, and create a culture in which employees can test AI within appropriate privacy and approval guardrails. Suggested YouTube Description How can accounting professionals begin using AI without exposing client data or losing control of their processes? In part two of this Accounting Technology Lab conversation, Puzzle co-founder and CEO Sasha Orloff recommends starting with a difficult but low-risk task. He explains why effective prompting resembles training a smart new employee: the accountant must clearly communicate the steps, decisions, safeguards, and desired result. Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley also examine why the profession needs AI that makes accountants better—not technology that attempts to remove accountants from the process. The discussion emphasizes human approval, professional judgment, leadership, and responsible experimentation. Topics include: Selecting a useful first AI experiment Protecting confidential client information Turning accounting processes into effective prompts Using AI agents with human approval Building a safe culture of experimentation Evaluating AI vendors and marketing claims Leading accounting firms through technological change Guest: Sasha Orloff, Puzzle Hosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley Presented by: CPA Practice Advisor #AccountingTechnology #AIForAccountants #Puzzle #AccountingAutomation #FutureOfAccounting Promotional Headline Options AI Should Make Accountants Better—Not Remove Them How Accountants Can Begin Using AI Without Losing Control Your First Accounting AI Project Should Not Be an Easy One Prompts, Processes, and Professional Judgment The Accountant Is Still the Boss AI Cannot Be Accountable by Itself Stop Watching AI From the Sidelines A Practical Starting Point for Accounting AI From Agent Smith to Q: Reframing AI for Accountants Accounting Leaders: It Is Time to Get Your Hands Dirty