Share of accounting tasks done by machines to surge by 80%: study

MORE than half of the 11 finance roles picked for a study will be moderately to highly changed by technology in the next three to five years. Those in the two most junior roles will likely be taken over by machines, while the most senior roles will be least affected, a new study showed. The study, entitled "Redefining the Finance Function with Job Redesign", said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of digital transformation. Within the next three to five years, there could be a wider adoption of technological enablers such as robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics/Big Data and blockchain. This shift will have a pronounced impact on the finance functions of 2025, according to the study, conducted by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Ernst & Young Advisory Pte Ltd (EY).