What happens when a major newspaper publishes a summer reading list where only five of the 15 books actually exist? Blake and David explore this real example of AI-generated content gone wrong and what it means for accounting professionals who increasingly rely on automated tools. They break down QuickBooks' latest price increases, demonstrate how AI can now build complex consolidation spreadsheets in minutes, and discuss why Excel skills still outrank AI knowledge in finance hiring. Plus, they examine the legal challenges facing Trump's tariff policies, alternative CPA pathway expansion, and hear from accounting student Jason Farley about the dangerous gap between classroom education and real-world cloud accounting practice.
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Chapters(00:48) - Summer Reading List Mishap (02:52) - AI and the Future of Fact-Checking (05:27) - AI Video Generators and Fake News (08:20) - QuickBooks and AI Pricing Debate (09:16) - Elon Musk and Government Efficiency (10:41) - The Big Beautiful Bill and Its Implications (18:29) - Tariffs and Trade Wars (39:48) - Excel vs AI in Finance (42:42) - The Rise of Excel: A Brief History (43:44) - Introducing Perplexity AI: A Versatile Tool (53:56) - Alternative CPA Pathways and Legislative Changes (55:07) - The Role of the PCAOB in Audit Quality (59:25) - Controversies Surrounding IRS Commissioner Nominee Billy Long (01:03:59) - The Future of Accounting Internships and Outsourcing (01:20:20) - Perplexity's Onboarding Process: Results and Insights (01:24:38) - Upcoming Conferences and Closing RemarksShow Notes
Chicago Sun-Times fake summer reading list article https://www.chicagosuntimes.com/fake-summer-reading-list-2025
South Carolina passes alternative CPA pathway legislation https://www.scstatehouse.gov/cpa-pathway-legislation-2025
New Jersey alternative CPA pathway bill https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/cpa-alternative-pathway-2025
Oregon CPA licensure reform legislation https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cpa-pathway-reform-2025
Minnesota CPA education requirements change https://www.revisor.mn.gov/cpa-education-requirements-2025
Illinois CPA pathway legislation https://www.ilga.gov/cpa-pathway-bill-2025
Trump tariffs constitutional challenge court ruling https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-tariffs-constitutional-challenge-2025
Court of International Trade blocks global tariffs https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/trump-tariffs-ruling-2025
International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff authority https://www.treasury.gov/ieepa-tariff-authority-analysis
PCAOB elimination provision in tax bill https://www.congress.gov/bill/pcaob-elimination-provision
Billy Long IRS Commissioner confirmation hearing https://www.finance.senate.gov/billy-long-confirmation-hearing
Billy Long tribal tax credits promotion controversy https://www.irs.gov/tribal-tax-credits-fraud-warning
Federal Tax Updates podcast with Danny Werfel https://federaltaxupdates.com/danny-werfel-interview
Solutions Magazine Excel vs AI survey https://solutionsmagazine.com/excel-ai-finance-survey-2025
Microsoft Excel 40th anniversary analysis https://www.technologylab.com/excel-40-years-anniversary
QuickBooks pricing increases for AI features https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing-changes-ai-features-2025
Puzzle AI accounting platform pricing https://puzzle.io/pricing
Digits AI bookkeeping service costs https://digits.com/pricing-plans
Uplink AI bookkeeping pricing structure https://uplink.com/ai-bookkeeping-pricing
Altman Dublin AI accounting company funding https://altman.ie/series-a-funding-announcement
Perplexity Labs spreadsheet creation feature https://labs.perplexity.ai/spreadsheet-tools
Microsoft Office bundling strategy vs Lotus 123https://www.computerhistory.org/excel-lotus-competition
Meet our Guest, Chayton Farlee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaytonfarlee/
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