At Xerocon Brisbane 2025, one message was clear: Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay, but it is not here to replace people. Just like automation in other industries, AI can make work faster and more precise, but the real value still comes from human judgment, trust, and relationships.
Take aviation. Planes today can almost fly themselves, but no one would board a flight without a pilot in the cockpit. When turbulence hits or an unexpected issue arises, it is the pilot’s steady judgment that keeps passengers safe.
Pharmacies tell a similar story. Machines can dispense medicine with incredible accuracy, reducing human error. But when a worried parent comes in, it is the pharmacist who listens, asks the right questions, and helps beyond what the prescription says.
Both examples show the same truth: technology handles the “how,” but people deliver the “why.”
Accounting has been through industry-wide shifts in the past. When cloud platforms like Xero first emerged, many worried they would replace accountants. Instead, they became valuable tools to reduce paperwork and routine bookkeeping, creating more space for higher-level advisory work. AI marked the next stage of evolution. Think about it this way, when you work with an accountant, you’re not just after the answers. You want someone with:
AI can crunch data and spot patterns, but it does not know your goals or the bigger picture of your business. That is where humans remain essential: turning raw numbers into useful, confident decisions.
In the end, business is about more than transactions. People don’t just want answers. They want someone they can rely on, who understands their challenges and helps them see the road ahead. That kind of partnership is something no machine can replace.
AI is reshaping the future of accounting, but it cannot replace the human heart of the profession. Instead, AI helps remove routine tasks, allowing accountants to focus on what truly matters: guiding businesses with wisdom, empathy, and foresight.
Numbers tell a story. People help you understand what that story really means and how to act on it.
At this year’s Xerocon Brisbane, Xero announced a range of exciting updates aimed at making life easier for small business owners. The biggest highlight was the launch of Just Ask Xero (JAX), a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered financial assistant designed to transform the way small businesses manage their finances.
From AI-powered assistance to better payment options and clearer insights, these changes will help save time on admin and give business owners more confidence in their numbers.
Innovation is at the heart of business growth, but turning new ideas into reality can be expensive and risky. To help Australian small businesses and start-ups push boundaries and scale faster, the government offers a dual-support system: the Research & Development (R&D) Tax Incentive and targeted grant programs such as the Industry Growth Program.
These two mechanisms work together to support different stages of the innovation journey, one rewarding experimentation, the other accelerating commercialisation.
Tax time can feel overwhelming, especially for small business owners trying to juggle operations, staffing, compliance and cash flow. But with the right preparation and guidance, lodging your tax return doesn’t have to be stressful.
Whether you’re lodging your return yourself or working with a tax professional, a little organisation now can make a big difference.
