Hong Kong-based accounting firms plan to continue growing their headcount in 2026 while increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI), positioning the technology as a tool to support staff and attract new entrants to the profession. South China Morning Post (SCMP) » reported quoting industry players.
Andrew Wong, KPMG China audit quality and professional practice partner, told SCMP: “We do not believe AI can replace humans, and we have not seen any reduction in hiring in the past and have no plans to do so. [reduce hiring] in the future. We view AI and our people as complementary.
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Wong said AI had improved quality and efficiency and also supported talent attraction and retention.
He added that AI allowed accountants at KPMG China to take on new and different roles, which was “exactly what young people are looking for.”
He also said that in the context of big data, AI is effective in analyzing trends and detecting anomalies in large data sets, while helping to analyze complex problems.
Other large companies have outlined hiring plans alongside AI deployment. Deloitte China announced in October that it planned to hire around 1,000 people in Hong Kong and invest 500 million Hong Kong dollars ($64 million) over the next four years to expand its capabilities in fintech, capital markets operations and AI.
Derek Lai Kar-yan, EY Senior Partner and Head of Turnaround and Restructuring, Asia Pacific, was quoted as saying: “Many young professionals are interested in careers in debt restructuring and liquidation, but they expect employers to provide AI tools to improve their efficiency.
“That’s why we need to invest in AI to attract young talent to our team. »
Lai said it plans to expand its team from 80 to 130 people in 2026 and that expected demand for restructuring and debt liquidations could increase due to the weak economy.
He also said companies were more open to preemptive restructuring to adapt to uncertainties such as geopolitical tensions and tariffs.
“Restructurings and liquidations involve a large volume of documents and transactions,” Lai said.
“With AI summarizing documents and transcribing meeting minutes, this saves a lot of staff time and helps improve efficiency. »
He added that when he joined the industry 36 years ago, he spent long hours reviewing documents due to the lack of AI tools.
“Now, thanks to AI, the analysis of paperwork has been more than 10 times faster, which would make restructuring and liquidation more interesting and attractive for young talents,” he said.
Separately, Damien Green, non-executive chairman of Manulife Financial Asia and director of the Financial Services Development Council, referenced the annual Microsoft/LinkedIn Work Trends Index, saying employees want to use AI at work and want their companies to catch up on adoption.
Green said: “The development and integration of AI capabilities into the professional services workforce of the future is important for Hong Kong as an international financial hub. »
Green added that the government had promoted the development of AI and data science through the HK$3 billion Frontier Technology Research Support Program and said the government-backed think tank was working with industry on initiatives to help early-career professionals and students prepare to use AI.
