Is AI Making Auditors Better, Or Just Lazier? | Qualified Opinions | Ep. 8

Published on23 October 2026

AI can speed up audit work, but how can firms make sure it improves audit quality without replacing professional judgment?

On Qualified Opinions, Chris Vanover and co-host Stephanie Silva talk with Jamie Rapps, partner at Grassi, about using AI in accounting and auditing. They discuss how firms can test AI’s work, where human judgment still matters, and how efficiency can create more time to serve clients and improve audit quality.

Subscribe to Qualified Opinions for more conversations about public accounting, audit quality, and technology.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 – Meet Jaime Rapps
3:16 – Can we trust AI?
12:05 – The evolution of auditing
17:12 – AI hype vs. reality
26:38 – Rethinking audit technology
34:19 – Efficiency vs. audit quality
42:19 – The future of auditor judgement
54:20 – The next generation of CPAs
59:14 – Episode wrap-up

About Chris Vanover

Chris Vanover, CPA, blends expertise in public accounting, auditing, regulation, innovation and education to drive meaningful change in the profession. A two-time Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People honoree and founder of CPAClub, he is committed to advancing excellence and progress across the accounting profession.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvcpa/

About Stephanie Silva

Stephanie Silva is an Associate Chief at CPAClub and co-host of Qualified Opinions. A former audit manager at KPMG, where she also worked in the firm’s audit technology organization, Stephanie now leads CPAClub’s Technology & Transformation efforts, helping firms and companies modernize their processes, adopt new technologies, and drive innovation. She brings a unique blend of audit experience and technology expertise to conversations about the evolving accounting profession.

About our Guest | Jaime Rapps

Jaime Rapps is a Partner at Grassi and brings over 15 years of audit, accounting and tax experience to his role. As a member of the firm’s Nonprofit and Healthcare practices, he specializes in financial reporting, audits, reviews, compilations and tax work.

Additionally, Jaime is a frequent speaker and thought leader within the industry. He has presented at various LeadingAge events and industry conferences in recent years. Within Grassi, Jaime leads education sessions and webinars and also writes articles for the firm’s website, external newsletter and industry publications.

Jaime is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYCPA) and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA). He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Yeshiva University.

Connect with Jaime

Website: https://www.grassiadvisors.com/team/jaime-rapps/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-rapps-cpa-96883610/

Connect with CPAClub

More Resources: https://cpaclub.cpa/resources

Website: cpaclub.cpa
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/cpaclub
Instagram: instagram.com/cpaclubinc
Facebook: facebook.com/cpaclubinc

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