“I believe the impact of artificial intelligence on our profession can offer an important contribution to optimizing time and organization. But it cannot ignore the intervention of the professional who must remain central. Each taxpayer has their own specificity and we must intervene by empathizing by understanding their needs.”
This was declared by Marco Cuchel, president of the National Association of Accountants, during the Cnpr special forum on the ANC conference “A real tax reform and AI for the relaunch of the profession: dream or reality”, held in Pozzuoli, which given the participation of the president of the Accountants’ Welfare Fund Luigi Pagliuca.
“Like any great technological innovation, the introduction of artificial intelligence entails risks and opportunities. The organization of work in professional firms can certainly help a lot – underlined Virginio Merola, group leader of the Democratic Party in the Finance Commission of the Chamber of Deputies – but we must be attentive not only to the issue of the training of algorithms but also to the infrastructure of these systems innovative. For example, there is no municipality where there are no protests over the installation of ‘5G’ antennas, there is the environmental issue of the consumption of super calculators. We must avoid placing barriers and obstacles to the introduction of new technologies. Europe has given itself rules, I believe it is appropriate to align ourselves without interposing other rules”.
According to Chiara Tenerini, Forza Italia deputy in the Labor Commission at Montecitorio, “artificial intelligence will be the new industrial revolution of this millennium which will be able to provide enormous support in many areas: work, medicine, research activities, professions. It will be necessary to provide an efficient regulatory system which we are working on to leave an anthropocentric vision where man will be the builder and actor of his own future without suffering any distorting effects from an ethical, social and moral point of view. In Italy there is a competitiveness problem at the moment to counter American companies that are collecting data to create algorithms. We must build a great Italian AI production ‘engine’.”
Andrea De Bertoldi, deputy of the Mixed Group in the Finance Committee of the Chamber: “Artificial intelligence, like all innovations, must be calibrated and used in the best possible way. It can be an effective tool for fighting tax evasion with more targeted checks even if people must remain at the centre. It can certainly bring advantages to the entire tax system.”
For Senator Mario Turco, national vice-president of the 5 Star Movement: “the introduction of artificial intelligence can be decisive, for example, in the fight against tax evasion. The category of accountants and accounting experts is at risk with regards to their traditional tasks. We must encourage the entry of young professionals by relaunching their figure in support of businesses and legality.”
During the debate, led by Annamaria Belforte, Marcella Caradonna, number one accountant in Milan, also offered a detailed reflection on the potential and risks linked to artificial intelligence in the profession: “There is no doubt that artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the world of professions, including that of chartered accountants and accountants. AI can offer extraordinary tools to optimize work, improve data analysis and reduce the margins of error, allowing professionals to focus more on higher value-added activities, such as strategic consultancy and interpretation of tax regulations . However, it is essential that the introduction of these technologies takes place in a balanced and responsible way, without ever losing sight of the central role of man. Artificial intelligence cannot replace professional judgment, human sensitivity and the ability to interpret the specific needs of each customer. It is therefore essential that accountants embrace this evolution, investing in their training to best integrate it into their processes. At the same time, an adequate regulatory framework will be needed to protect professionalism and guarantee ethics in the use of AI, so that it remains a support and not a distorting factor.”
Satisfaction was expressed by Luigi Manzoni, mayor of Pozzuoli, for choosing the Phlegraean location for the ANC national congress which offered the inspiration for the special Cnpr Forum: “An important event for the valorisation of our territory in particular in a
period like this where we are living with the phenomenon of bradyseism. It means giving new life to our economic fabric and to the entire conference tourism sector which represents an important resource for Pozzuoli.”