The AI Revolution in 2026: What CPAs Should Know

Overview

You could pay $0 for this course!

AI is reshaping audit, tax, and finance. This update surveys what’s real in 2026: core concepts, major tools, risks/controls, and practical CPA use cases. Leave with a clear vocabulary, a current landscape view, and actionable talking points for staff, clients, and vendors.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. Firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course. The course code for this program is C-15235. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@masscpas.org.

Highlights

State of AI technology in 2026: capabilities, limits, and vendor landscape • Essential terminology: models, training data, prompts, agents, guardrails • CPA use cases: audit procedures, tax research/drafts, controllership • Risk, control, and governance: data privacy, bias, accuracy, documentation • What’s next: near-term trends and how to evaluate new tools

Designed For

CPAs in public practice, CFOs/Controllers/FP&A, internal audit, firm/finance leaders

Objectives

Assess recent advancements in AI and their implications for CPA workflows and client services. • Distinguish key AI categories and common terminology used in practice. • Identify high-impact CPA use cases and associated risk/control considerations to discuss with stakeholders.