Machine learning, machine intelligence, thinking machine, electronic brain – whatever you want to call it, artificial intelligence is here to stay. Although, machines haven't completely taken over, they have slowly but surely crept into our lives affecting the way we live, communicate and ultimately work. From voice-driven assistance on a mobile phone, suggestive searches to autonomous driverless cars, we will continue to see fast-evolving technologies in the coming years. At ACCA we have a deep interest in how technology impacts the accountancy profession and how it will continue to do so in the future. This year will see the 30th anniversary of the worldwide web – meaning we are firmly part of the digital revolution; technology is something accountants cannot shy away from or avoid.

As technology gets smarter and takes over more and more of the work we typically deem "skilled", are professionals like accountants at risk of being replaced? The short answer is "No". The long answer is "It all depends on the professional accountant's attitude". Let's begin by taking a step back to understand the nature of this trend. The author Martin Ford has written extensively on this subject, and his recent book, The Rise of the Robots, contains a lot of food for thought. The main point that should concern professional accountants is that the ongoing drive towards automation is no longer just a threat to low-level jobs, particularly those that already rely heavily on machinery--think driverless cars, automated mining and agriculture and so on.