NYCPA CEO Says Accounting Needs a New Lesson Plan

How much calculus do you remember?

Most CFOs would likely need a little help passing a test on the topic, with many handing it straight to Claude Cowork these days. But their old math teachers might have something to say about that, considering the point was to build problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Accounting has a similar situation on its hands as AI takes over some of the repetitive work that has always, until now, helped junior employees build skills and learn to spot problems on their way to leadership roles. Calvin Harris Jr., CEO of NYCPA, New York’s professional association for CPAs and one of the country’s largest state CPA societies, says accountants now have to figure out how the next generation will develop that judgment with far fewer reps because of AI. 

In a recent interview with CFO Upside, he explained how those concerns are helping shape the association’s priorities heading into 2027.

“It is certainly all about AI,” Harris said of the technology questions members bring to him lately. Practitioners, he detailed, are exploring its use in research and reporting while considering where it cannot be integrated.

“We have a responsibility to help people understand where opportunities exist, both for those considering entering the profession and for those who already work within it,” Harris said.

Learning the Ropes

CFOs who came through accounting learned through repetition, with experienced colleagues nearby to guide them. Now, AI is changing that training model. 

“Junior professionals learned by observing experienced colleagues and gradually developing the judgment needed to recognize when something was right, wrong or potentially problematic through repetition and hands-on experience,” Harris said.

He explained that accountants recognize AI can free younger professionals from assignments that consumed hours for earlier generations, but the lessons those tasks taught may be difficult to measure in time saved.

“The challenge is that many of those seemingly menial tasks played a key role in developing professional judgment,” Harris said. “By completing those tasks repeatedly, professionals gradually learned how to evaluate situations and make sound decisions.”

For CFOs looking to prepare their teams for automation, that makes training part of the calculation when adopting AI. Completing an assignment faster leaves the question of how employees will build the understanding needed to evaluate its results.

“The most successful instances I’ve seen merge the apprenticeship mindset with technology,” he said. 

That has swayed his view that professional development extends beyond mastering the technical work. “A strong technical base is nonnegotiable, but growth comes from what is built on top of that foundation,” Harris said.

More Than Busy Season

With enrollment in four-year undergraduate accounting programs up 8.9% in spring 2026 from a year earlier, the profession has a growing audience to show where an accounting career can lead. 

Despite this, Harris said the visibility of tax deadlines and public accounting’s busy season can still give future accountants a poor picture of the field. Someone uninterested in tax may dismiss accounting before learning where else an accountant’s career path could take them.

“Tax work is a real and important part of accounting, but our focus on it can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes,” he said. He pointed to careers in sustainability and roles combining accounting expertise with information technology. 

NYCPA’s efforts are extensive in redefining the narrative around an accounting career and introducing new people to the profession. Its NextGen community, which was launched last year, offers connections and networking opportunities for aspiring and current CPAs as well as other accounting professionals under 40.

“If young people don’t understand the breadth of opportunities available in accounting, it’s up to us to meet them where they are and help them see what’s possible,” Harris said.

Communicating value is also a challenge for professional associations themselves, Harris said. He considers advocacy one of their most important functions, though he admits that members may not recognize their role in shaping the rules affecting their work.

“Advocacy delivers significant value, often in ways that are invisible to [NYCPA] members,” he said.

CP-AI. Heading into 2027, NYCPA is monitoring AI proposals involving generative AI use and liability, along with legislation using auditing language. “We’re monitoring how it will be integrated into the profession, how it affects the future of CPA professional training and the legislation around AI that will impact our profession,” Harris said.