The AI Dilemma for CPAs:
Growth, Guidance, and Governance

Sufyan: Hello everyone, this is Sufyan your host once again with another new fresh episode of CPA Talk series. In today’s episode we have a special guest like always – Malia White, who is the co-founder of VOS Accounting & Tax Services, a firm that serves as the dedicated accounting and tax arm for small to medium sized businesses.

Known for her entrepreneurial approach, she helps companies streamline compliance, gain financial clarity, and modernize their back office through strategic partnership and not just service delivery. A US Mensa member and ranked number one in 33 million of her CliftonStrengths leadership profile, Malia combines analytical precision with executive foresight. She is also advancing AI-powered fraud detection solutions that positions her firm at the forefront of ethical tech enabled accounting.

Outside her accounting and client work, Malia funded the Tagata Pacifika Scholarship Fund, supporting education access for Pacifica Youth and expanding equity through opportunity. Welcome to our podcast Malia. How are you doing today?

Malia: Very good. Thank you, Stefan and your team for having me. It is a pleasure.

Sufyan: Absolutely a pleasure for us as well to have you on the board for us and we will, we’ll start this discussion very quickly before that, anything that you wanna you wanna talk about your company, anything that you want to cover as a starting point for this podcast?

Malia: I just want to add the location where the company is at in United States. What the area that we cover geographically. Obviously we’re based in the United States of America out of Georgia, in, in small town north of Atlanta, which is Cumming, Georgia. We’ve been in business for over 10 years, so.

Sufyan: OK. Awesome. Thanks.

Malia: But yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sufyan: Thanks for letting our listener know about that. Let’s talk about the future of accounting firms as the first topic of today’s discussion. Malia, and given your experience in transforming finance operations, how do you envision the accounting firm of the future, especially with rising trends in outsourcing automation and digital advisory, how do you, how do you envision that?

Malia: So, I will try to answer most of your questions today, rather, based on what me and my firm are doing, right, what the angle is, so, I will speak on behalf of us. I cannot speak for the rest, but this is where I see the next generation accounting firm is.

With the landscape we’re at today, it’s going to be leaner, more sharper and strategically embedded in the client’s business. Your client’s business, that’s where I want to take things right now, we’ve already kind of experienced it with the landscape, but I do not think that we’re there 100% yet. And not just during tax season. What I look forward to is year round and I think that’s a model today for everybody else in the industry. The traditional model of selling time intersections is fading and I think in a rapid pace. If it, you’ll notice that within yours, but the clients value now is more toward guidance and responsiveness, that’s what they’re looking for, right?

Sufyan: Mm-hmm.

Malia: And here at VOS we just build a firm around that solution and, and, try to work toward it. We’re not just looking at the books anymore. We’re just, we’re trying to help the business owners grow with it. So, looking at scalability as well.

Sufyan: OK. Well, that’s usually the approach we have with here in Datamatics Business Solutions as well. When we partner with an outsourcing, sorry with an accounting firm, we do not just become an outsourcing service provider and this is no more a transactional business with us, it’s more of a relationship building to understand their needs and understand their future goals, and then be a strategic partner for them.

Malia: Right.

Sufyan: But in all these we talk about AI, we talk about technology advancement and outsourcing. It then boils down to the million-dollar question about data privacy and security in the digital age. Given the increasing exchange of sensitive financial data across borders and cloud platforms, what are your top recommendations for ensuring robust data privacy and security and in the outsourced accounting model and in-house accounting team, both What are the proven methodologies that you probably have applied in your practice and what kind of a suggestion you think you have for everyone?

Malia: OK, so I’d like to share all that. Right now in the firm, what we’re trying to pursue is the completion or completely making sure that we’re in regulation with the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service, right. With that being said, the IRS requires that every tax firm actually has a Written Information Security Plan. So this is where security is coming in and we look to the WISP, you know, everybody knows it as WISP- we look to it as our guideline, so to speak, when security is involved and you know with the data coming in earlier this year that security, cyber security threats and attacks on tax and accounting firms is going up over 300%, so it’s kind of the concern.

In fact, I was just after today, I’m going to talk to someone and their concern is outsourcing their most confidential data to outside of the United States or anywhere, because everybody’s doing it with the AI right, automation is allowing that to happen and that’s OK. But at some point we need to also make sure that they’re comfortable trusting their data to us. So yes, we do have an in house WISP as required by the IRS and that is the guideline – from hiring, onboarding and who has access to what data, right, so and and I do encourage everybody, most you know, we’re not a big firm to to have a department of you know that is specifically tasked with security, but we as a smaller firm we look to the IRS and the guidelines to also make sure that we follow through and keep everybody safe with the data. That is what I encourage because that is what I do here, but I do know it’s different for most, right?

Sufyan: Yeah. Yeah, no, I get that. I completely get that. And out here, if I can just take the liberty of time and tell you a little about how we take care of data security and privacy out here with Datamatics Business Solutions. So, we take care of it in three aspects. #1 is the kind of accreditation and the certificate have. We are ISO 27001 certified. For information security we are AICPA SOC 2 compliant. We have some big banner partnerships as well. So, because of these partnerships and these accreditations and certifications, we are always on the toes and we always need to follow internal policies which are very stringent in nature. So, because of those policies and a constant check by someone, we are always intact with the policies that we are supposed to follow.

#2 is the kind of IT infrastructure we have built. So when we deal with our clients, we do not take any data on our system. We rather work on their systems. So this way, first of all, there is no hassle of transferring the files from here to there – nothing goes out of their network and everything remains in a very limited environment.

And #3 is to hire the right kind of staff because irrespective of how robust the system you are building up, if someone is not having their right intention, they will find a loophole in that. So, we make sure we make sure we hire right kind of talent, we do a lot of background checks on their with their previous employer with their educational institution their criminal and credit history etc.

And then the kind of interview questions we have, it is more of a psychometric test for them. So, it is just to understand what kind of values and what kind of intention someone is carrying along. So, it helps just for the wider audience and for everyone’s benefit I thought it’s worth sharing what we do out here.

Malia: It is, it is. And I really like #2, right, the way you handle client data where you go to the system rather than bringing them in house to you. Yeah, it limits.

Sufyan: And it makes sense. I mean, apart from the security point of view.

Malia: Yeah, exposure is limited to you. So correct, yeah.

Sufyan: Correct.

Sufyan: And we believe, Malia, that that’s the future of work, remote accounting and collaboration. And that brings us to our next question as remote-first and hybrid work becomes the new norm now, how can firms foster strong teamwork, communication and quality control when accounting teams are dispersed globally? It is no more limited to that one office wherein the whole staff is sitting and working together. So how do you take care of the teamwork, communication and quality control?

Malia: So a few years back I started, of course with COVID, right, 2020 that’s when you have, because I’m also, I kind of waded into the HR arena too, and I had to deal with some of the compliance in there. So, I saw first-hand at first the lack of clarity is from the employees, that’s their complaint #1 is, like, OK, because most firm or most companies did not have anything, no guidelines to prepare, you know, when pandemics, or whatever it may be, happens.

What is the step we have, the system, what is the step, what is my role, how is my role looking today compared to yesterday now that I’m working remotely, right? So I did not hear that that the employers, most of the reaction was remote work kind of break the team right? In a sense maybe, because nobody’s seeing anybody. You’re all you’re scattered around. Yeah. Yeah. So, you can have people across the cities or, you know, 5 different time zones, which is what we’re having today.

Sufyan: True.

Malia: But the roles? If the roles remain vague, like I said, that’s what the employees came back with, the expectations aren’t documented. That’s where we learn, right? Those complaints we took that and turned it around. These are the guidelines that we need to, you know, come together. And then here’s the employees concerns, you know, rather than framing it as their complaints, it is concerns really, because they’re valid concerns and now, which is late last year we decided to go with Financial Cents, right, on board everybody because of the remote work.

Like I said you can be in five different cities now or different time zones and still work can be done and completed on time. But for us here, both our team and clients have assigned tasks since we took over or implemented Financial Cents. There are clear deadlines, visibility of what’s coming up in that pipeline, right. And I think that is very important from a standpoint where we create accountability not just for your team while remotely scattered, but also your clients and that’s why I think you can speak on toward this too, where you have clients all over the place and yet you’re able to keep up with them because you’re holding them accountable at the same time, just like you do within your internal team. So at the end of the day, every task is traceable. You know, again speaking, to automation, every deliverable has an owner, right? So that automation and remote work system allows for that and performance is monitored all over while, also you know, it’s real time communication as if you are right next door to me. And I think quality is also elevated at the same time when you have a system that it is established and system ties to where, OK, this is the goal we’re working toward this goal right. And that’s where we’re at and I think that’s the reality of remote work. And I’m all for it. But you, as the firm owner has got to have the system right.

Sufyan: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that’s a great point, Malia. And it really comes down to building trust, having the right process in place and using technology wisely. Whether your team is across the street or across the world, the goal is the same. Clear communication, accountability and quality work.

Malia: Yes.

Sufyan: So, we see the same with outsourced accounting teams as well. When expectations are clear and systems are aligned, distance doesn’t matter as much as people think.

Malia: Yes, yes.

Sufyan: OK.

Sufyan: OK, let me shift the discussion a little towards something which I really appreciate. You have been actively involved in initiatives that go beyond the workplace like the Tagata Pacifica Scholarship Fund which aims to create opportunities for under represented communities. And that brings me to a broader question. How do diversity and inclusion in education mirror the broader need for inclusive talent strategies in accounting and outsourcing purposes?

Malia: Hmm. OK, so for me they started out—personally, I have a passion towards this because this is where I started out. I moved here 13 years ago, no degrees. You know, my child—we had a choking moment when she was 8. She asked me, ‘Mother, can I pause college so I can have a child first?’ Because that’s what she actually learned from me. That’s how I actually grew here: I moved here with no degrees, had family first before going back to school, and, you know, finding myself here. But I always had a passion for underrepresented kids or individuals. Because to me, they’re dear to me, to my heart. And that’s where I came from, right. And I wanted to be able to uplift as many as I can through providing fund, a scholarship fund, for their education. But it is to me, sitting back today, it has never been about access to education, it is about the servicing the potential there’s often overlooked.

Because, you know, America is like a gazillion times bigger than where I come from. It’s the tiniest island in the Pacific, right? So I’m sitting here with a broader view, and the passion that I have is toward people who I see as the opportunity—or what we call in business, untapped potential, right? Yeah.

And that’s I just really wanted to support them and give them a fair shot without lowering because I, I see there’s a confusion now to where, OK, most ask me, am I eligible for the fund or the scholarship fund? And I say it has nothing to do with the color of your skin, not you know whatsoever – we will help to give you the opportunity. That that’s where my goal is, and that’s how, it always is, you know, see things, but yes, it is also true at the same time that majority of the people that I see coming through this funding is people of minority, they are minority people, right? Like myself. You know, so to speak.

And I love, in fact, in in the beginning of this year, I did a case study which was highlighted by some HR company later. I did a study on the superpower of the bilingual employees and when I speak to bilingual, I envision the very people that this scholarship fund is actually helping. That those are the very same people that I envisioned, right. And I speak to it because I’ve seen some of them are very fluent in English, very fluent in two other languages, right. But they’re sitting there in a desk doing admin work, where really some of them you can pick in that, you know pick them up if you’re having a cross-border transaction, an M&A, and you know that this is your most fluent, you know person that you’re tasking you know.

How about tap their potential? So it makes me really happy to see that. I do even think that I did the case study and at the time I did it, I did not even think of the people impacted by the scholarship fund that I, you know, that we have. But at the same time, at the end of the study, I was like, Oh my God, I the same people I put in here with the study, you know, was kind of grounded from the very people that I’m trying to, you know, help so to speak. And, and for some reason I find true peace in doing that.

Sufyan: Absolutely, yeah.

Malia: And you know it, to me, regardless of where you are in the world, there’s always going to be somebody who needs you, you know and all you have to, I mean, there, I didn’t even know there are people who I don’t, I never met them, but that I end up becoming long life mentor to them and I tried to put three to five hours of my time a month to spend doing that with these people, some of them are still in college, which I’m very proud of. Some of them have moved on to become, you know, form their own family and work and support them – it’s beautiful.

Sufyan: It is, its.

Malia: Yeah. And you speak of diversity and inclusion, but they’re more than just moral imperatives anymore. To me, they’re like strategic ones. Like the example I just brought up. You have somebody who speaks fluent, you know, three different languages and you have an M&A that you need to negotiate with, the very languages that you’re already having. Those are the untapped potential that I’m talking about. Bring them on, you know. Take them and show them what it’s like, because this is their language. And who knows, he might do better than you in negotiating in their own language, right?

Sufyan: Well. What a, you know, it’s such a noble work that you are doing Malia. We as a group from Datamatics Business Solutions, we would like to congratulate you for that. And we would like to thank you for serving the humanity and being a strong pillar because people like you make this world beautiful like it is today. So thank you so much for doing such noble work, Malia.

Malia: Thank you. Blessed to be able to do it.

Sufyan: All right, absolutely. I mean it’s it’s like everyone has an opportunity to do something like that, some or the other, how, on a different scale, it’s up to us how we do it and on what level we do it. So, the way you are doing it is truly commendable and that really deserves clapping from all of us.

Malia: Thank you. Thank you.

Sufyan: OK. All right. I OK. I think we covered this topic well enough and I again want to change the gear a little. And I remember in our last discussion you mentioned that about an unsettling instance of a CPA using AI to clone himself. Can you walk us through that experience and what ethical or regulatory lessons that incident offers?

Malia: OK, so who did this is somebody I look up to in the industry and I do not want to name names because he was very forthcoming. He was being honest about the whole incident, but.

Sufyan: OK. Absolutely fine.

Malia: But, you know, apart from that, I saw a concern that actually encapsulates the AICPA as the captains. The concern—it’s becoming a collective concern. And I don’t know if other people are there yet, or if they just haven’t seen what I saw in real time, right? So I was asked to come in and sit. Probably he might show up, but it turns out he was in an accident 5 or so months ago. So I said, OK, I’ll come and sit in—if he’s not showing up, I’ll step in. If not, OK.

And well, he did show up, but as a clone first. What I noticed was the dead eyes. Everything looked big, just like him, everything—and that’s OK. And he did mention after the whole presentation that it was a clone, which we loved. He was very truthful about it. But then somebody—one of the clients—asked, ‘Hey, can you now come back as yourself, not your clone?’

OK, so this is when it started getting weird. He showed up, turned off the clone, and came in. Very real—you know, I could not tell the difference other than the pupils, the dead eyes I was talking about. That’s how I knew who was the clone. Anyway, he showed up, and the client asked one question. And it wasn’t even a deep accounting question, it was.

Sufyan: Yeah. Wow.

Malia: Simple question. And the next 5 minutes he had to leave because he could not really, there was no cohesiveness in his answer, not even a full sentence. But I can tell that this guy has an AI of himself. That immediately, and this is what really concerned me, I was OK with the whole incident, I went home after this. And my inbox arrived an e-mail. OK.

Like this was like 5 paragraphs e-mail from the same guy. He said, I just left this with you—not able to answer one simple question, but I got this. So to me, the concern was—and I hope they enjoy—that organizations like AICPA are moving ahead. There might be regulation, but I don’t know. Like for us here in Georgia, I don’t even know if the IRS, the AICPA, or the state boards have even issued any guidance on the use.

Where are you at? My fear, from my end, is I’m not even involved in any of that. But my professional insurance is going to go up because of people like that, right?

Sufyan: Yeah, yeah.

Malia: Cause I,I honestly, try to be, to remain, I have AI, or we do have the automation to help enhance everything else, right, help you be better, but not to replace your great ability. And that’s the fear I have. That’s the fear I have and you know, I’m looking forward to hearing all, uh, board of, you know, accountancy figuring out a way. And they should move faster because like I said, this terrifies me when I look at it real time. Because his bottom line was like, OK, you cannot answer one question on your own. You know, so it’s very clear to me that there will always be those who try to stay ahead of the game by doing, you know, non-credible work.

So that was the experience, and as much as I love and look up to this individual, I had to tell myself to withdraw. And I was like, OK, did I really just see that?”

So, but there is not to say that we’re anti AI. In fact, yesterday we just released the first fully produced AI educational video, right, 100% AI-produced and that is something back in January, we announced that we’re working on an AI initiative, and that was released yesterday. So, we’re working toward it, trying to enhance everywhere else using it, but it is never my intention to where your clients will come to you, and you have an AA right in front pushing the AI. ‘Here you go, that’s me.’ No, no — I want to be there.

Sufyan: Yeah.

Malia: To be able to sit down and face the clients and honestly talk to them as a human, yeah.

Sufyan: Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, that really shows how fast technology is moving and how, how the lines can blur if we are not careful?

It’s one thing to use AI for efficiency, but when it starts replacing judgment or accountability, that’s where it gets tricky.

Malia: Yes, and that’s the word, you know, AI is not the issue. It’s really the lack of accountability and we as professionals have to be better. We have to, you know, we cannot be the first people to not be accountable.

Sufyan: I think it’s of, go ahead. I’m sorry. Go ahead. I’m sorry.

Malia: No, no, it’s very much a gray area — at least from where I’m sitting right now. I think as professionals, we have better ideas on how to use it properly, with accountability.

But still, we need our Board of Accountancy to step in — same with the IRS and the AICPA. Because, to your point, it’s growing rapidly, and everybody’s behind.

Sufyan: Yeah.

Malia: Like especially the regulatory, you know side of things, they’re behind.

Sufyan: Sure.

No, I completely get that and I advocate the same. And I think it’s a wake up call as well for firms to not to just embrace tech, but to put clear ethical boundaries in place because at the end of the day, no matter how smart the tools are, the responsibility still sits with the human behind it, so it’s like you said, it’s a grey area.

All right. Well, I think this is all for today. We are already in the 30th minute of this meeting, but before we let you go, any closing note, any message for the accounting community, for the CPAs, for the outsourcing companies and for all our listeners.

Malia: No. First of all, I’d like to thank you for having me over on your podcast. Yeah, it’s a pleasure. And secondly, if you’re listening.

Sufyan: Absolutely appreciate.

Malia: I hope you’re walking away with something useful, because for our community to meet this moment, we need to work together—for the betterment of all—and to make sure everybody’s held accountable. AI should not be used as a way to avoid responsibility, but as a tool to enhance, move forward, and grow in the best possible way.

So yeah, I hope this helps. And if you’re an accountant, please find or join a community online—I think it’s very important. You and your teams, Sufyan, what you’re doing with this podcast is probably more educational than many will even admit, but it truly should be. I also encourage incoming accountants to look at podcasts like this to learn, because these are real concerns we can’t ignore. You brought up something earlier that I really liked, and I think after this podcast I’ll need to reflect deeply on it—for my firm, and also for the impact of education you’re creating here. And I hope everyone watching feels that same sense of impact.

Sufyan: Thank you. Thank you very much for the golden words. Malia, I’m sure it’s going to help all the listeners and to us obviously. Thank you once again for being a guest in our podcast series. It was wonderful, it’s a pleasure to have you here and to speak with you, Malia.

Malia: Thank you.

Sufyan: All right, everyone, this is all for today. Interesting, intelligent, insightful discussion with Malia, we will be back again with another episode, with another speaker, and we’ll talk more about accounting as a domain, as an industry and outsourcing as the strategic partner. Thank you.