Artificial Intelligence Transforms Professional Services Through Real-Time Compliance and Efficiency

The influence of artificial intelligence on the professional services sector is immense, with AI enabling firms to operate with amplified agility through real-time compliance and enhanced operational efficiency. Asael Meir, Partner and Technology Industry Leader at CohnReznick, emphasized this transformation during Benzinga's Fintech Day & Awards 2025, stating that AI is revolutionizing what professional services firms do. The annual event, now in its 11th year, brought together industry leaders to discuss how AI is transforming both professional services and fintech industries.

While CohnReznick has successfully leveraged global resources to improve unit economics, Meir explained that AI provides additional options by enabling the company to simultaneously embed quality improvements into operations while reducing costs. AI can be utilized for research, content creation, or quality control at reduced costs and increased speed. Meir specifically highlighted compliance as an area where AI excels, noting that AI can complete repetitive tasks such as formatting or proofing more efficiently. He expressed amazement at AI's capabilities, stating that he opens his Copilot each morning and is continually surprised by what he can accomplish.

AI contributes significantly to risk management within today's continuously connected environment. Traditionally conducted at specific intervals, risk management now occurs in real time with AI, enabling immediate feedback to clients. Meir predicted that AI adoption within compliance will continue to grow as systems and tools improve, driven by client expectations for value related to AI innovation in audit and tax services. During the event, Meir also moderated a panel titled Dealmaking in Fintech: What to Expect in 2026, where panelists discussed IPO's, M&A, and the overall outlook for fintech dealmaking next year.

Panelists anticipated a major trend for 2026 involving the convergence of decentralized finance and artificial intelligence, supported by a more accommodating regulatory landscape. This shift is expected to lead to larger capital raises for companies working in this area, with Ripple's recent $500 million funding at a $40 billion valuation likely fueling further sector interest. Panelists agreed that AI presents both challenges and opportunities, making investment more difficult due to rapid technological advancement while transforming financial services by automating manual and labor-intensive processes.

Whether in financial services or other professional services, AI is having a monumental impact from automating and speeding up operations to spurring multimillion-dollar investments. The content was originally published on Benzinga, providing insights into how AI continues to reshape professional services through enhanced compliance capabilities, operational efficiencies, and significant financial sector transformations.