The accounting profession has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, thanks to innovations in artificial intelligence, including robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning, and general artificial intelligence (GenAI). These technologies streamline operations, automate routine tasks, and reduce human error.
Now, the next leap in this evolution is here: Agentic AI.
Agentic AI in accounting introduces autonomous intelligence that can drive decisions, predictively manage financial workflows, and create a measurable strategic impact. This shift from human-managed artificial intelligence tools to self-sufficient AI agents in finance is delivering unprecedented value across various areas, including audits, lease accounting, economic analysis, internal accounting teams, and managed services.
What is Agentic AI in Accounting?
Agentic refers to AI software that can function as an independent agent, capable of automating tasks, making real-time decisions, and learning from its environment. This type of AI in accounting doesn’t simply assist with isolated tasks; it plays a leading role in managing entire financial workflows from start to finish.
How is agentic different from traditional or generative AI?
- Traditional AI reacts based on predefined inputs or learning models that have been trained on data from past scenarios.
- Generative AI creates new content, such as text, reports, summaries, and more, by learning patterns in historical data and generating outputs in a dynamic way.
- Agentic AI is designed to act purposefully with new information, learn, react, and automate processes in real-time, just like a person.
For example, agentic AI can do more than find problems in financial data. It can look into these problems, assess their impact and outcomes, suggest actions, and take autonomous action.
Let’s look at a real-world example. A financial controller uses an AI agent to close the monthly books. Now, rather than relying on manual follow-ups and data collection, the autonomous accounting software actively identifies missing entries, reaches out to relevant stakeholders, and resolves discrepancies, significantly reducing the time to close.
Why Agentic AI for Accounting?
There are several reasons why agentic AI in accounting is relevant within financial services, accounting, and consulting, including:
Enhanced Efficiency and Accuracy
Agentic AI dramatically improves task execution by automating multi-step workflows across the finance function. This leads to reduced human error, faster turnaround times, and increased productivity.
Strategic Decision Support
Finance leaders gain access to context-rich insights delivered in real time. This allows them to make well-informed decisions faster, with greater confidence and clarity.
Scalability
As businesses grow, data volumes and complexity increase. Agentic AI enables finance teams to scale operations efficiently, without needing to increase headcount or resources in proportion.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation
These AI systems improve with use. Over time, agentic AI learns from previous activities, refines its approach, and becomes more effective, helping accounting teams stay ahead of change.
As with the advantages, there are also significant disadvantages to not using Agentic AI in accounting workflows.
Disadvantages of Not Using Agentic AI
Organizations that delay the adoption of agentic AI risk falling behind in several key areas:
- Extended close cycles due to manual processes
- Higher likelihood of compliance gaps and reporting errors
- Inability to keep pace with business growth
- Missed opportunities for forward-looking financial insights
- Increased workload on accounting team members
- Difficulty in recruiting top-level talent (who would expect such technology to be implemented where they work)
How Agentic AI Transforms the Accounting Workflow
Here’s how agentic AI is already reshaping core accounting functions:
AI for Financial Analysis
Agentic AI consolidates and validates data from multiple systems, identifies discrepancies, and generates reports that are audit-ready. This speeds up the reporting cycle while also improving data integrity.
Audit Readiness
With continuous tracking of data and transactions, an AI agent maintains real-time audit trails. It automatically flags potential compliance issues and helps teams prepare for audits well in advance.
AI Revenue Recognition
Especially under standards like ASC 606, contract management becomes more complex. AI for revenue recognition can analyze contract terms, determine recognition schedules, and keep revenue logs up to date, ensuring compliance and reducing risk.
Expense Management
Agentic AI reviews financials, including expenses for policy alignment, detects outliers, and provides recommendations to reduce unnecessary spending.
Lease Accounting Software
Lease accounting software powered by AI can streamline workflows, improve accounting accuracy, and deliver on every compliance standard using an intelligent, autonomous system.
Demystifying what Agentic AI means for accounting and finance teams
There are several concerns surrounding the rise of agentic AI, particularly in an accounting context. The main questions being asked are:
Will Agentic AI Replace Accountants?
Agentic AI is designed to enhance human capability, not replace it. Accountants can focus on higher-value tasks such as strategy, analysis, and decision-making, while AI handles repetitive, process-heavy work in the background.
What About Data Security and Compliance?
AI accounting software platforms like Trullion prioritize enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance. Features such as data encryption, auditability, and access controls help ensure your organization stays secure and compliant with frameworks like SOX, GAAP, and IFRS.
Trullion’s AI Advantage
Trullion is an AI-powered solution and service that leverages agentic AI to empower accounting and audit professionals with greater intelligence and autonomy.
Key capabilities include:
- Real-time revenue recognition and reporting
- Continuous audit support
- Automated contract analysis
- Journal entry recommendations based on pattern recognition
Trullion’s software connects seamlessly with leading ERP systems, making it easy to unlock the full potential of a completely autonomous AI agent within your accounting workflows.
Discover more about Trullion’s agentic AI solutions and how they can benefit your finance team.
Conclusion: Agentic AI is a winning solution for Accounting and Financial Professionals
Agentic AI represents a significant breakthrough in how accounting teams operate, enabling more intelligent, faster, and proactive decision-making, while freeing teams to focus on strategic finance work.
Adopting agentic AI today means staying competitive, compliant, and future-ready – aligning perfectly with the goals of forward-thinking accounting professionals.