AI/ChatGPT 101: Introduction to AI

Generative Artificial Intelligence, and in particular Open.AI’s ChatGPT permeated business and technology headlines over the past 18 months and its impact on business is only increasing. This program will provide an explanation of why the AI Revolution is happening now and why generative AI is different than the “augmented intelligence” tools already being utilized by accounting professionals. This introductory session will walk through the setup of your account, cautions on usage and a streamlined approach to “prompting” the AI to work for you. Roman will walk through specific examples to get you started successfully and resources to make AI part of your organization's strategic planning discussions.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA.CITP, CGMA, Director of Firm Technology Strategy, Rightworks

Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA is Director of Firm Technology Strategy for Rightworks. His primary focus is helping firms throughout North America effectively use information technology and accounting applications to transform their practices by optimizing their tax, audit, CAAS, and administrative production workflows.

He has spent the past twenty-seven years consulting exclusively with CPA firms and prior to that, ten years with the CPA firm of Henry & Horne, (Arizona’s largest regional firm) where he was the partner in charge of the firm's Management Advisory Services and Consulting practices. Roman also served as the firm’s Administrative partner where he oversaw Internal Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, and was responsible for the creation and implementation of the firm's technology plan and budget.

Roman has been named by INSIDE Public Accounting as one of the profession’s Most Recommended Consultants for the seventeen years through 2022, CPA Practice Advisors Top 25 Thought Leaders from 2011 through 2023 and Accounting Today’s Most Influential People in Accounting eighteen times.

On a technical level, Roman is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSS BB), an AICPA Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) and has earned the AICPA’s Robotic Process Automation and Data Analytics credentials. Roman has also earned the CPAFMA’s Professional Accounting Firm Manager designation for internal CPA firm practice management.

He has served as a member of AICPA Council, the AICPA PCPS Executive Committee and is a former Chairman of the AICPA's Information Technology Executive Committee. He has served as a member of other AICPA initiatives, including the Special Committee on Enhanced Business Reporting, eBusiness Task Force, IT Best Practices, IT Research, IT Practices Committees, and Group of 100 projects. In addition, he is a former Chairman of the AICPA Top Technologies Task Force.

Roman is also an Advisory Board Member to the CPA Firm Management Association (formerly the Association for Accounting Administration), the BDO Alliance Technology Committee, and served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Society of CPAs.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, Education Director, National Association of Accountants for Cooperatives

After retiring as Tax Director for Southern States Cooperative, Wayne Sine was asked to serve as Education Director for NSAC. He has been a long-time and active member of NSAC, having served as past President of the Atlantic Chapter and past Chair of the Tax Committee. In addition to his work with NSAC, Wayne has served on the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Chaired the Tax Committees for both the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association, served on the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs, and served as past Region Vice President for the Tax Executives Institute.