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Selecting the Right AI Partner with Wiss

In Episode 238 of the Accounting Technology Lab, hosts Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley are joined by Hrishikesh “Rishi” Pippadipally, Partner and CIO at Wiss, to explore how accounting firms should evaluate and select AI partners. The conversation goes beyond flashy demos to focus on real-world adoption, data privacy, and governance in a highly regulated profession. Rishi explains why industry context matters more than generic AI capabilities, emphasizing that accounting, tax, and audit workflows require domain-specific intelligence, not just large language models. The panel discusses Wiss’s disciplined approach to vendor evaluation, including running structured AI pilots, tiering vendors by strategic importance, and deeply scrutinizing data usage, retention, and sub-processors. They highlight the importance of transparency, SOC reporting, and understanding how AI systems learn from client data. The episode also explores agentic AI, where multi-step workflows automate accounting tasks while keeping humans in the loop for judgment and review. Listeners gain practical insights into how AI is already improving productivity—such as transaction coding, reconciliations, and payroll entries—while freeing professionals to focus on advisory work. The episode concludes with guidance on change management, reskilling teams, and why firms should “buy partners, not tools” when investing in AI.