Are AI bank feeds helping—or just creating more work? Blake and David unpack Intuit’s missteps, why “use AI to make the rules” matters, and how a no‑code agent now posts multi‑line bills to Xero. They demo Excel’s new "copilot()" function, share how FP&A roles are shifting, and hit headlines from Barstool’s lawsuit to tariffs and Gusto’s Guideline …

Can AI agents actually reduce your workload—or just add hype? Blake demos how he rebuilt bill-entry “Hubdoc-style” in about an hour with Zapier Agents, then maps out why most AI pilots fail without documented workflows and human approvals. Plus: PwC’s plan to hire one-third fewer grads, juniors supervising AI, HMRC scanning social posts for tax gap…

Can an AI reconcile your books while you sleep? Blake and David run a live experiment with ChatGPT-5’s Agent Mode in Xero—watching it match transactions, stumble on prepayments, and reveal what’s realistically automatable today. They also break down a flood of app news: Dext's bill pay, Ramp’s mega raise, Thomson Reuters and Deloitte’s agentic AI, …

Blake and David discuss how both AICPA and NASBA have officially endorsed a 120-hour CPA licensure pathway in the ninth edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act, validating Blake's long-standing advocacy against the 150-hour requirement. They also examine Baker Tilly's policy, which requires CPAs to remove their designations from email signatures and…

What happens when the traditional path from college to accounting career gets disrupted by AI and automation? This week, Blake and David explore who's most likely to quit accounting firms (hint: it's the middle managers), why wages are rising while jobs disappear, and how one college is revolutionizing accounting education. You'll discover which em…

What happens when politicians threaten to cut funding from accounting standard-setters unless they eliminate specific rules? Blake and David explore unprecedented political interference in FASB and PCAOB operations, plus the IRS facing a 23% budget cut despite Trump's push for more customer service staff. They unpack Sam Altman's warning about AI b…

What happens when a $2 trillion cryptocurrency market suddenly requires monthly audits? Blake and David break down the Genius Act, the new federal stablecoin legislation that just created a massive opportunity for auditors—but also potentially recreated the chaotic "wildcat banking" era of the 1800s. You'll learn why every stablecoin issuer now nee…

Why is AI failing at basic accounting tasks while claiming to outsmart PhD students? Blake and David dive into the stark reality of AI implementation in accounting, from Ramp's promising new expense management agents to QuickBooks' baffling suggestion to credit and debit the same account. You'll discover the critical security vulnerabilities in AI …

What happens when AI decides who gets promoted and who gets fired? Blake and David dive into the shocking reality that 60% of managers now use AI for HR decisions, with over 20% letting algorithms make final calls without human oversight. They explore a Stanford study revealing that tax preparers are the #1 profession seeking automation, but only f…

What happens when AI agents promise to transform accounting but create more cognitive burden than productivity gains? Blake and David explore the reality behind the AI agent hype as QuickBooks, Digits, and Big Four firms launch their "digital teammates." They also dig into Xero's massive $2.5 billion acquisition of Melio and what it means for the p…

What happens when 19 states simultaneously abandon the 150-hour CPA requirement while tariffs create unprecedented uncertainty for CFOs? Blake and CFO.com reporter Adam Zaki explore the rapid transformation of CPA licensure—from New York's recent changes to the coordinated state-by-state rollout that followed Barry Melancon's AICPA retirement. You'…

What happens when venture capitalists spend billions on AI but need customers to buy it? In this episode, Blake and David explore how investment firms are now purchasing accounting firms to force-feed AI adoption, comparing it to Pepsi buying restaurants to sell more soda. They also dig into the massive gap between AI promises and reality, question…

Live from the Sage Future conference in Atlanta, Aaron Harris, CTO of Sage, joins Blake and David to explain why he wants to completely eliminate the financial close rather than just make it faster. Harris breaks down the three waves of AI transformation in accounting—from task-based automation to generative AI to fully autonomous agents—and reveal…

Blake and David return from Sage Future 2025 with insights into how AI is reshaping accounting—from eliminating the financial close to real-world use cases. They also cover Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public breakup, the latest in Deel’s corporate spying allegations, Deloitte’s unapologetically intense work-life balance ad, and a billion-dollar “A…

Earmark Media Presents a bonus episode of Earmark Podcast: What happens when Congress votes to eliminate the watchdog that's overseen public company audits for two decades? In this episode, Blake Oliver sits down with three leading accounting academics—Maureen McNichols from Stanford, Nemit Shroff from MIT, and Daniel Aobdia from Penn State—to exam…

What happens when a major newspaper publishes a summer reading list where only five of the 15 books actually exist? Blake and David explore this real example of AI-generated content gone wrong and what it means for accounting professionals who increasingly rely on automated tools. They break down QuickBooks' latest price increases, demonstrate how …

How close are we to expense reports that create themselves? In this crossover episode recorded live at Emburse in Motion, Blake Oliver explores real-world AI implementation with Adriana Carpenter, CFO of Emburse, and Olga Pavlova from PizzaExpress. Discover how PizzaExpress manages 350+ restaurant locations using AI to automatically flag policy vio…