AI in accountancy: Bright’s strategy

Artificial intelligence (AI) in accountancy is a hot topic across the industry, and at Bright, we’re investing in its immense potential to improve how we serve our customers. Our commitment to AI is both ambitious and thoughtful, as we aim to unlock new ways to enhance our products and customer interactions. But before we discuss how Bright envisions using AI, let’s clarify what we’re not doing.

Avoiding the AI bandwagon

Many companies — in nearly every industry — have rushed to adopt AI with claims of revolutionising user experiences. Unfortunately, this has led to a flood of basic chatbots and co-pilot systems that fall short of delivering real value. At Bright, we’re taking a different route.

Our goal isn’t to adopt AI for the sake of buzz or trends. Instead, we’re laser-focused on meaningful innovations that help businesses serve more customers, streamline complex tasks, or improve service quality. Bright’s AI team is exploring how to harness its capabilities where they’ll have lasting impact, not fleeting hype.

Early days with big ambitions

Bright’s AI team was established earlier this year with a mission to prioritise practical and beneficial AI applications. While we’d love to share a detailed roadmap of upcoming projects, the reality is that we’re still in the early stages of exploration. What we do have, however, is a wealth of ideas and the beginnings of exciting progress.

For instance, our team has collaborated with IPASS — a key partner on the payroll side of our business — to test potential AI-driven solutions. This partnership is the first step in identifying how AI can work seamlessly within Bright’s broader ecosystem, including the tools valued by many of our accountancy users.

An eye on immediate impact

Some of the AI projects we’re working on today may not immediately interest all our customers, especially those who primarily focus on accountancy products. However, they lay the foundation for more significant advancements across all Bright products.

A great example is our current initiative to make IPASS content more accessible and user-friendly with the help of AI. By applying these learnings across our platform, we’ll be better equipped to deliver support documentation and resources smarter and faster than before.

Additionally, we’re excited about a recent investment in an AI-powered support tool. Once fully implemented, this tool will help users quickly find accurate answers to their questions with greater efficiency and precision. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, this is an area to watch closely as it develops.

Building an AI-enhanced future

Bright’s exploration of AI is still in its early stages, but the possibilities ahead are exciting. Our commitment to thoughtful innovation — rather than quick fixes or trend-chasing — sets us apart in how we aim to serve customers.

Speaking on the future of AI at Bright is our Head of AI, Euan Matthews:

“There’s a wealth of opportunity for AI at Bright, but in an industry where trust, accuracy and compliance are paramount, we need to tread carefully – we will never implement AI for the sake of it, only where it’s the right solution to add increased value for our customers.”

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This content may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. Content is reviewed by a member of the Bright team before publication. Guidance on legislation can be obtained from your industry body.