BILL partners with NewtonX to launch first comprehensive “AI Ambition” study for accounting firms

BILL, a leading financial operations platform for small and midsize businesses, announced the launch of a landmark research series in partnership with NewtonX, the world’s leading B2B market research firm. The inaugural report, The BILL accounting firm AI ambition survey, provides a deep dive into how over 200 accounting firm leaders are navigating the shift from simple automation to advanced artificial intelligence.

As accounting firms face evolving client expectations and expanding workloads, the survey sets out to answer the critical questions: How enthused are firms? What do they want to accomplish with AI? And where are the real bottlenecks?

High ambition meets a “capability lag”

Volume 1 reveals a profession with high aspirations—but limited deep expertise. While nearly half of respondents (49%) describe their firm’s AI ambition as “high,” 65% of those same firms expect only incremental improvements rather than true business transformation.

Key insights from Volume 1 include:

• The median AI ROI: AI is already a meaningful time-saver, with 90% of firms saving at least one hour per week. Median time gained is five hours per week—equivalent to 32 additional workdays per year that can be redirected to higher-value client strategy and advisory work.
  
• The “trust somewhat” trap: Trust remains a primary hurdle. Fifty-one percent of leaders trust AI “somewhat” for accuracy, and 48% trust it “somewhat” for compliance—suggesting firms are experimenting, but not yet ready to bet critical work on AI.
  
• Universal awareness, rare expertise: While 92% of respondents are familiar with how AI applies to accounting tasks, only 14% consider themselves “extremely familiar,” signaling a major upskilling opportunity.
  
• Size-specific barriers: Firm size shapes the primary blocker to adoption:
  
  • Small firms: Integration with existing systems
  • Midsize firms: Talent constraints and change management
  • Large firms: Data quality and governance across complex, multi-source environments

“AI is the path for firms to scale capacity,” says Ariege Misherghi, SVP & GM of AP and Accountant Channel at BILL. “This is how you create the headspace to grow your firm and show up for your clients with more impact.”

A practical path to the AI-enabled firm

This report is the first installment of a four-part series designed to help firms benchmark progress and chart a strategic path forward. Upcoming volumes include:

• Volume 2: Strategy & investments—from ambition to allocation (Coming May, 2026)
  
• Volume 3: Reinventing services & delivery—from compliance to continuous advisory (Coming June, 2026)
  
• Volume 4: Business model & pricing innovation—monetizing AI (Coming July, 2026)