Tax preparation, auditing and strategy consulting are services that have historically relied on an intensive use of human capital. Artificial intelligence (AI) now threatens these business models. Technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) and robotic process automation (RPA) complete in mere hours what human auditors took weeks to do. Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are three of the famed Big Four tax and accounting companies. I recently sat down with innovation leaders at these companies to learn how AI is transforming the tax and auditing business.

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Technology is at the heart of this; driving the disruption through digital ways and means, with the resulting artificial intelligence having a significant impact upon the world of work. Already we've seen well-known brands being shaken up, even decimated, by technological innovators. There are estimations of robots stealing a third of British jobs by 2030 (PWC, 2017). And that, in less than 12 years, computers will possess more intelligence than the average human being (Google). Right now, billions of people are connected across the world – sharing content, experiences and their lives like never before.

AI could be one of the biggest commercial opportunities for Ireland. Artificial intelligence (AI) is forecast to boost Irish GDP by 11.6pc or the equivalent of an extra €48bn, according to new research by PwC. The consulting giant recommends that the effect on jobs in the long term will at least be neutral, if not net positive, but this depends on employers putting Ireland at the forefront of the AI revolution by investing in skills and technology. 'Put an action plan in place around AI and manage with the same discipline you would put around any technology-enabled transformation. Don't wait for it to happen around you' – RONAN FITZPATRICK The analysis in the PwC report The Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Ireland's Economy shows that the potential for AI to impact the Irish economy is slightly lower than the global average (13.8pc by 2030 and $15.7trn) but slightly higher than in other northern European (9.9pc by 2030 and $1.8trn) and southern European (11.5pc by 2030 and $0.7trn) economies.

At Booz Allen, our goal is to bring people together from different backgrounds and perspectives to transform business and society with data. From Machine Intelligence to Precision Medicine, Open Technology to Immersive Experience, we're empowering people to change the world--starting with you. In the future, we believe everyone will be a data scientist and we're already thousands strong. We invest heavily in our analytics experts through funding, training, and mentorship. You'll work on a steady stream of interesting projects, support diverse clients, and participate in programs like hackathons and our new Data Science 5K Challenge.

The cloud is no longer "the next big thing," with companies now looking at machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to make their products smarter, more efficient, and to release human operators from manual tasks where they can be intelligently automated. AI is becoming more accessible, breaking new ground, permitting new ways of working and increasing productivity. However, Sarah Adam-Gedge, Managing Director of consulting firm Avanade's Australian operations, says organisations need to establish an ethics framework for guiding our journey into an AI-first world. Just as we think about the benefits, we must also consider the impacts these new technologies can have, and how removing human operators from machinery such as weaponry and healthcare can compromise end results. AI introduces uncharted moral and ethical dilemmas and a new scale to risks.

Every week, we talk about important data and analytics topics with top data scientists. These data science chats are hosted by Mike Delgado. Please reach out if you have recommendations for topics or guests. Mike Delgado: Welcome to Experian's Weekly Data Talk, a show featuring some of the smartest people working in data science. Bill, thank you for being part of today's broadcast. Can you share a bit about your background and what got you started working in data science? In the '90s, I came out of industry and went into management consulting. I ran the consulting shop at JD Power and Associates. Then, I moved over into big four consulting at Ernst and Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"The working mom experience needs innovation--new modes of flexibility, services, and corporate norms," Helfenstein said. "Research on the trends in the on-demand economy shows that moms are leaving corporate environments in favor of new forms of employment. To retain top talent, it's essential for companies to find unique ways to hire and provide leadership paths for moms through flexible work arrangements." Leading the charge to adapt workplaces and engage more women in the workforce--particularly women with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills-- is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). This week, SWE and iRelaunch's STEM Task Force, of which Booz Allen is a founding member, released the white paper, "An Intervention Strategy to Re-engage Women Engineers in the Workforce" that outlines the steps to grow the pipeline of talented women engineers who have left the workforce and may be ready to return.

With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, or any other new technology that changes the game, the same fears have been awakened–not only among professionals in our industry, but within our clients' as well. Adopting these technologies and training workers to adapt to the possibilities they create, we'd argue, is the right call. But, when it comes to the impact on the individual, a broader understanding of the symbiotic relationship between people and technology will remain necessary and critical in abating these fears. At PwC, we recruit more than 12,000 professionals each year and every year we continue to field a growing number of questions from interns, associates, senior associates–and even clients. Like textile workers of the early 19th century, they ask us: Will I still have a job?