IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/acctfi/v66y2026i2p1939-1971.html

Drivers and concerns of adopting Artificial Intelligence in managerial accounting

Author

Listed:
  • Chao Zhang
  • Weidong Zhu
  • Jun Dai
  • Yong Wu
  • Xulong Chen

Abstract

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have attracted significant attention within the managerial accounting profession. With its transformative capabilities and complexity, AI presents numerous opportunities alongside notable challenges in its adoption. This paper examines the key factors influencing AI adoption in managerial accounting and highlights common concerns faced by companies during this process. Based on interviews with representatives from 41 companies, we identified a range of factors impacting AI adoption at both institutional and individual levels. These findings offer valuable insights into AI acceptance within the field of managerial accounting.

Suggested Citation

  • Chao Zhang & Weidong Zhu & Jun Dai & Yong Wu & Xulong Chen, 2026. "Drivers and concerns of adopting Artificial Intelligence in managerial accounting," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 66(2), pages 1939-1971, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:66:y:2026:i:2:p:1939-1971
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.13404
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.13404
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/acfi.13404?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vasarhelyi, Miklos A. & Alles, Michael & Kuenkaikaew, Siripan & Littley, James, 2012. "The acceptance and adoption of continuous auditing by internal auditors: A micro analysis," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 267-281.
    2. Jackson, Denise & Allen, Christina, 2024. "Enablers, barriers and strategies for adopting new technology in accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    3. Zhang, Chao & Zhu, Weidong & Dai, Jun & Wu, Yong & Chen, Xulong, 2023. "Ethical impact of artificial intelligence in managerial accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    4. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-09-2020-4934 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Fred D. Davis & Richard P. Bagozzi & Paul R. Warshaw, 1989. "User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(8), pages 982-1003, August.
    6. Ivy Munoko & Helen L. Brown-Liburd & Miklos Vasarhelyi, 2020. "The Ethical Implications of Using Artificial Intelligence in Auditing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(2), pages 209-234, November.
    7. Othmar Manfred Lehner & Kim Ittonen & Hanna Silvola & Eva Ström & Alena Wührleitner, 2022. "Artificial intelligence based decision-making in accounting and auditing: ethical challenges and normative thinking," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(9), pages 109-135, June.
    8. Han, Hongdan & Shiwakoti, Radha K. & Jarvis, Robin & Mordi, Chima & Botchie, David, 2023. "Accounting and auditing with blockchain technology and artificial Intelligence: A literature review," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    9. Elizabeth Johnson & Matthew Petersen & Joshua Sloan & Adrian Valencia, 2021. "The Interest, Knowledge, And Usage Of Artificial Intelligence In Accounting: Evidence From Accounting Professionals," Accounting & Taxation, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 13(1), pages 45-58.
    10. Appelbaum, Deniz & Kogan, Alexander & Vasarhelyi, Miklos & Yan, Zhaokai, 2017. "Impact of business analytics and enterprise systems on managerial accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 29-44.
    11. Ida Merete Enholm & Emmanouil Papagiannidis & Patrick Mikalef & John Krogstie, 2022. "Artificial Intelligence and Business Value: a Literature Review," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 1709-1734, October.
    12. Mikko Ranta & Mika Ylinen & Marko Järvenpää, 2023. "Machine Learning in Management Accounting Research: Literature Review and Pathways for the Future," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 607-636, May.
    13. Zhang, Chanyuan (Abigail) & Cho, Soohyun & Vasarhelyi, Miklos, 2022. "Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) in auditing," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    14. Sutton, Steve G. & Holt, Matthew & Arnold, Vicky, 2016. "“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”—Artificial intelligence research in accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 60-73.
    15. Michael Haenlein & Andreas Kaplan & Chee-Wee Tan & Pengzhu Zhang, 2019. "Artificial intelligence (AI) and management analytics," Journal of Management Analytics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(4), pages 341-343, October.
    16. Vitor Nóbrega & Renato Lopes da Costa & Rui Gonçalves & à lvaro Dias & Leandro Pereira & Klaus Dorner, 2023. "The impact of artificial intelligence in accounting: application in SMEs," International Journal of Electronic Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(2), pages 192-214.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Murphy, Brid & Feeney, Orla & Rosati, Pierangelo & Lynn, Theo, 2024. "Exploring accounting and AI using topic modelling," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    2. Abbas, Khalid, 2026. "Management accounting and artificial intelligence: A comprehensive literature review and recommendations for future research," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).
    3. Fábio Albuquerque & Paula Gomes Dos Santos, 2023. "Recent Trends in Accounting and Information System Research: A Literature Review Using Textual Analysis Tools," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-27, April.
    4. Li, Yueqi & Goel, Sanjay, 2025. "Bridging IT auditors and AI auditing: Understanding pathways to effective IT audits of AI-driven processes," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Alaskar, Mohammad Zaid & Kim, Ja Ryong & Nguyen, Tam Huy & Rafique, Muhammad, 2025. "Balancing performance and ethics: Navigating visual recognition technology adoption in the auditing industry," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    6. Ballantine, Joan & Boyce, Gordon & Stoner, Greg, 2024. "A critical review of AI in accounting education: Threat and opportunity," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    7. Torroba, Macarena & Sánchez, José Ramón & López, Lidia & Callejón, Ángela, 2025. "Investigating the impacting factors for the audit professionals to adopt data analysis and artificial intelligence: Empirical evidence for Spain," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    8. Stratopoulos, Theophanis C. & Wang, Victor Xiaoqi, 2025. "Artificial intelligence and accounting research: a framework and agenda," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    9. Elsayed, Nader, 2025. "Strategic AI disclosures and legitimacy: Impression management in UK FTSE100 annual reports," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    10. Zhang, Chao & Zhu, Weidong & Dai, Jun & Wu, Yong & Chen, Xulong, 2023. "Ethical impact of artificial intelligence in managerial accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Fan, Cunbin & Zou, Guohao & Yang, Chufeng & Zhao, Ziqiang, 2024. "Can the digital transformation of pharmaceutical enterprises' finance improve healthcare equity?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    12. Adriana Tiron-Tudor & Widad Atena Faragalla & Anca Pianoschi, 2025. "The role of the accountancy professionals in detecting and preventing fraud, in a digital landscape: a systematic literature review," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 745-786, December.
    13. Isip Adrian, 2025. "The Impact Regarding the Use of Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Services Industry," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Paradigm, vol. 19(1), pages 122-137.
    14. Lombardi, Danielle R. & Kim, Meehyun & Sipior, Janice C. & Vasarhelyi, Miklos A., 2025. "The increased role of advanced technology and automation in audit: A delphi study," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    15. Carmen Elena Stoenoiu, 2025. "Perspectives on the development of digital techniques and tools with implications for accounting and financial audit services," GATR Journals jfbr232, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    16. Adrian GROȘANU & Melinda-Timea FÜLÖP & Nicolae MĂGDAȘ, 2024. "Ethical Dilemmas in Digital Accounting: A Comprehensive Literature Review," CECCAR Business Review, Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR), vol. 5(4), pages 56-67, April.
    17. Jochen Fähndrich, 2023. "A literature review on the impact of digitalisation on management control," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 9-65, March.
    18. Li, Yueqi & Goel, Sanjay, 2025. "Artificial intelligence auditability and auditor readiness for auditing artificial intelligence systems," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    19. Ani STOYKOVA, 2024. "AI in Accounting: Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis," CECCAR Business Review, Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR), vol. 5(8), pages 56-71, August.
    20. Luo, Haotian & Yu, Jinlei & Mu, Tong & Zhou, Peng, 2025. "Spillover effects of enterprise digital transformation on supply chain carbon emissions: Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 606-617.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:66:y:2026:i:2:p:1939-1971. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaanzea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.