Of late, the accountancy industry has been the subject of a slew of negative media headlines, especially in the auditing space. Scrutiny has surrounded the administration of high-profile businesses like BHS and Patisserie Valerie at a time when the number of UK companies going into administration hit a five year high. News of a lack of accountability has been rife: the Charity Commission recently accused auditors of'letting down' their profession and clients after a study found only half of sample charity accounts met the required standards set by the watchdog. While not necessarily a fair reflection of the whole industry, trust has undoubtedly been knocked. Not only has accountancy been battling a wider crisis in confidence, but we have been doing so during the'rise of robots'.

That moment helped plant the seeds for the era of big data in which we live today, and it marked a critical cultural turning point that suggested a machine could outsmart a human after all. While Kasparov initially expressed cynicism regarding the computer's methods and its intelligence, he has more recently changed his tune, crediting the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and advocating for a symbiotic relationship between humans and machines. "At the end of the day," he argued, "it is for us to even explain when something is successful. It is still for us to define success and machines to perform their duty" – underscoring the significance of our human role in defining and creating the knowledge base, the logic, and the authority that we empower our AI systems to wield. What does this mean for those of us who create AI systems, in the era of big data, and in an era where consumers are (rightfully) expecting and demanding that we leverage that data responsibly and accurately?

The highly challenging global business environment has become even more competitive recently. Technological developments and digital disruptors continue to shape the landscape, against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty. Concurrently, customer expectations are growing, as they demand high quality products and services delivered to a timescale that fits their needs. This places significant pressure on businesses to meet these expectations, especially as customer trust and loyalty is at an all-time low. To address this challenge, business leaders must look to how they can leverage the'soft' skills within their organisation to provide a better service.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already changing the business of law. Many firms are adopting the rapidly expanding suite of AI-powered tools to help their legal practitioners improve client relationships and deliver better outcomes. The burgeoning legal tech industry is putting an ever-expanding suite of AI-powered tools in the hands of law firms. Most tools are currently focused on lifting the burden of document review, analysis and research off your shoulders. Like all legal tech solutions, the goal of AI-powered tools is to offer lawyers new ways to facilitate the just, quick and cheap resolution of disputes and respond more appropriately to client needs.