[blindhippo]

Humans (accountants) are non-deterministic, so unsure if an LLM would be better or worse if we threw more effort at the problem.

But in general, I tend to side with the "lets leave the math to purpose built models/applications" instead of generalized LLMS. LLMs are great if you are just aiming for "good enough to get through next quarter" type results. If you need 100% accuracy, an LLM isn't going to cut it.

[ayende]

Human accountants also have a very important property: liability.

If a certified accountant told me to do X, I'm covered (at least to the point they would assist in recovering, or I can get compensation through their insurance). If LLM tells me, I'm in a bigger problem.

[zachlatta]

Most small businesses cannot afford CPAs for everyday tasks. At best a CPA signs off on the annual summaries. Most day to day work is done by bookkeepers who are not CPAs.

In my area (Vermont) the going rate for a good CPA is $200/hr. Bookkeepers are $20-30/hr.

[kqr]

There is "LLM misinformation" insurance, a very new branch of cyber insurance.