Implement AI into your firm, one controlled workflow at a time
A 30-day pilot plan with a human reviewer, useful measurements, and clear data boundaries.
Libro Lantern editorial · Research checked October 15, 2026
Days 1–7: choose a job, not a chatbot
Pick a small repeatable task: drafting a document request from a template, summarizing a nonconfidential internal meeting, or turning an approved procedure into a checklist. Identify the owner, reviewer, inputs, and expected output. Use synthetic or redacted data for the first tests.
CPA.com’s 2025 report announcement emphasizes human verification, training, and a phased adoption roadmap. The practical plan below is Libro Lantern’s own suggested pilot, not a CPA.com certification or prescribed timetable.
Source: CPA.com (June 2025): AI in Accounting Report announcement and roadmap overviewDays 8–14: define the acceptance test
Write ten representative examples, including incomplete records and contradictory instructions. Compare the output with an approved answer. Measure reviewer time, missing information, unsupported claims, and how often the reviewer must start over.
Before real client data is used, approve the vendor’s data handling, access, retention, and training settings against your firm’s obligations and client agreements. Do not paste credentials, tax identifiers, or raw client documents into an unapproved tool.
Days 15–21: pilot with a reviewer
Keep output in draft status. A qualified person checks source evidence and signs off before anything reaches a client or changes the books. Require primary-source verification for tax or regulatory statements. Keep a simple error log and escalate recurring failures.
Provide an alternative manual process when the tool is unavailable. No autonomous payments, filings, or journal posting in this starting pilot. Expand permissions only after a separate review of the specific workflow.
Days 22–30: decide whether to keep it
Compare end-to-end time with the baseline, including review, correction, subscriptions, and training. Keep the pilot if quality meets your standard and the economics work. Stop or redesign if review erases the benefit.
Train the next person on why a result is correct, not just how to produce it. Preserve junior learning through source checks, reconciliations, and supervised explanations. Record the approved use, owner, tool version, and next review date.
Sources & further reading
CPA.com (June 2025): AI in Accounting Report announcement and roadmap overview
Sources inform the editorial discussion. Libro Lantern’s checklists and pilot plans are our synthesis, not endorsements or prescribed industry standards.
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