Bots, Data, AI—Part of Retraining the Big Four’s Workforce (1)

Jay E. Sternberg, a 30-year accounting industry veteran, has been busy beefing up his statistics skills—taking hours of classes in data visualization and data analysis.

He’s earned two badges through a learning program Ernst & Young LLP has rolled out to help its accountants and business consultants, and he plans to go for a third.

“The reality is, the accounting firms of yesterday are gone,” said Sternberg, a people advisory services partner in EY’s tax practice. “We need to up our game.”

Professional development is not new, but adding technology to more traditional training has emerged as a necessity for ...