Speed, control and human intelligence: Ros Hodgson on AI in bookkeeping

The accountancy profession is under pressure. Rising costs, shrinking margins and the demands of compliance are forcing firms to rethink how they work. At the same time, clients expect faster responses, smoother journeys and more advisory support.

Technology is often presented as the answer, but the reality has been messy: disjointed apps, failed integrations and hours lost to admin. That’s why the arrival of Intuit’s AI agents and a unified platform is such a pivotal moment. 

Agentic AI experiences will automate repetitive tasks and complex workflows, empowering you with time savings and actionable insights. A reimagined interface will make finding what you need faster so you can stay on-task. And deeper functionalities will work together seamlessly so you can do more on a single all-in-one platform. 

To understand what this means in practice, we spoke to Dr Kamran Shaikh (Morgan Reach), Ros Hodgson (BCAMS Accounting & Training), Aaron Patrick (Boffix) and Chloe Britnell, (PJCO Chartered Certified Accountants). 

For them, they see AI not as a threat, but as an opportunity to reclaim time, scale client relationships and reshape their roles.  Across this series, they share how:

• AI agents can act as silent team members, handling the repetitive work.

• A single “place of truth” transforms client journeys.

• Efficiency becomes the foundation for deeper advisory conversations.

• The profession can attract and train a new generation of talent.

This is Humans + AI — a series of practitioner perspectives on what comes next.

For Ros Hodgson, owner of BCAMS Accounting & Training, the arrival of AI in bookkeeping feels less like disruption and more like long-awaited relief. She has embraced the technology enthusiastically, but insists the balance between speed and control is critical.

Loving AI, with limits

“I absolutely love AI,” Ros says. “I have embraced it and been thinking for a while, would it not be easier if some of the repetitive things were dealt with? AI makes those things quicker, and it was only a matter of time before it came into the accounting space. I am really excited to see the difference it will make to our lives and to the lives of our clients.”

Yet Hodgson knows the profession. “Accountants and bookkeepers are control freaks by nature. We want things to balance to the penny. We want speed but we also want control. AI can do what I can do but faster. Yet I know the client, I know the nuance. QuickBooks has built in that control so I can say, in this case, this is how I want it done. The speed comes from AI, but the human intelligence is still mine. The Intuit platform has got that balance really nailed. AI is smart but at the minute we are still smarter and that is important.”

Moving up the value chain

For Ros, the greatest opportunity lies not in efficiency alone, but in shifting where bookkeepers spend their time. “Taking away repetitive tasks moves the work up the food chain. If five hours of work becomes two and a half, it means I get time back to look at insights. When we spend all their time crunching numbers, they can forget the company behind the numbers. This gives us a chance to see what the numbers are telling us and advise clients properly on where their business is going.”

Confidence for clients

Clients can, too, gain from AI agents. “For clients, consistency across their books is critical. AI agents can help with that. Whether we do the bookkeeping or the client does, it gives confidence that things are consistent. Insights become visible to them in one platform, rather than logging into three or four different systems.”

Consistency builds trust, and trust makes relationships stickier — something Ros believes will be crucial as firms adapt to new technology.

Attracting the next generation

Ros also sees AI as a recruitment tool. “The younger generation is not afraid of AI. They are learning it first and they want to find ways to do things better, quicker, faster. It is also a way for mothers and people working from home to enter the profession, learn QuickBooks, learn bookkeeping, and use AI to leverage their skills for businesses. It is a huge opportunity for the industry.”

The bottom line

For Ros, AI is not about replacing the human touch. It is about removing admin-heavy tasks so professionals can deliver insights, strengthen client confidence, and attract fresh talent into the profession. “AI is smart,” he says, “but at the minute we are still smarter.”

Now available to QuickBooks customers, a powerful, proactive team of AI agents and trusted human experts work together across the Intuit platform to handle repetitive tasks, surface insights, and support collaboration between business owners and their accounting professionals.

Disclaimer: Functionality will vary depending on plans. Functionality will vary depending on plans. AI Agents (excl. VAT AI Agent): While available in all QuickBooks supported languages, the AI agent's output are currently in English-only. We recommend you review all outputs carefully. Finance Agent: Not available to customers with multi-currency enabled.

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