The latest episode of the AI Innovators™ Interview Series features OJ Laos, Director of AI at Armanino, one of the nation’s top 20 accounting and technology firms. OJ joined the discussion to share how Armanino is integrating artificial intelligence across its business, how his team built one of the first internal AI Labs in the accounting industry, and what lessons he has learned about driving adoption in a complex organization.
Building Armanino’s AI Lab
Five years ago, OJ and his team launched what they called the “AI Lab.” At the time, the initiative was largely exploratory. Armanino’s leadership knew AI would be transformative but did not yet know exactly how. The goal was to identify opportunities where automation, analytics, and emerging tools could improve both client-facing services and internal operations.
In OJ’s words, “And then five years ago, we founded the AI lab is what we called it. And the AI lab was really at the time, I think pretty innovative. I can’t say we had all the answers. We didn’t know what AI was going to be, but we knew we had to turn our focus towards figuring out what those gaps and differences were gonna be, mostly for our clients at the time.”
Those early experiments focused on machine learning, predictive analytics, and chatbot development. They helped Armanino develop the technical and organizational foundation that would later support its broader use of generative AI.
From Consulting to Internal Transformation
While Armanino continues to provide AI consulting and technology advisory services to clients, the firm has also applied those same principles internally. OJ described this shift as “practicing what we preach.”
Over the past few years, his focus has evolved from external consulting projects to internal AI enablement, including the tools, policies, and strategies required to safely and effectively deploy AI across the firm. He now helps guide implementation across Armanino’s more than 3,000 employees, ensuring that every team—from audit to tax to advisory—can apply AI responsibly in their daily work.
Making AI Tangible for Business Leaders
When asked how he first became interested in AI, OJ explained that his understanding deepened when he began viewing machine learning as a math problem. “A lecture I saw really going into detail about machine learning, but as a math problem. And really looking at it as all machine learning is, it’s a math problem where we know the answer, but not the variables that go into it,” he said. “And seeing something become much more tangible certainly helped it click.”
That realization helped him see AI not as something abstract, but as something practical and measurable. By understanding what is happening behind the scenes, business leaders can better identify where AI fits, what problems it can solve, and how to build trust in its outcomes.
Real-World Impact Across the Organization
OJ shared several examples of how Armanino is currently using AI to drive measurable results.
One major area is document automation. The firm uses predictive analytics, optical character recognition, and generative AI to process client engagement letters. “We leverage some predictive analytics, OCR, and a little bit of generative AI to scan all of our engagement letters that come in,” OJ explained. “We send out thousands upon thousands of renewals every year. They come back, we have to scan that information, validate everything is in there correctly, the signatures, the terms, et cetera, et cetera.”
The result has been more than a tenfold improvement in processing efficiency.
At the same time, Armanino is leveraging AI to improve client interactions and internal collaboration. The firm’s rollout of Microsoft Copilot has been one of its most successful initiatives. “So we rolled out Copilot here at the firm. That was one of the programs that I manage. And so far, it’s been wildly popular. We can’t keep licenses in stock because as we continue to expand the program, we did come out in tranches. There’s just been such pent up demand. We have 98 percent usage for those that have it. And last I looked, we had 48,000 Copilot uses in the last month.”
Measuring Success Beyond Traditional ROI
One of the most insightful parts of the conversation centered on how to measure AI success. OJ believes organizations need to think differently about ROI when it comes to generative tools. “I mean, I think it’s closer to saying what is ROI on a laptop or a cell phone that you’re expensing for an employee,” he said. “Not that you don’t need to know it, but that you have to think about it a little bit differently.”
For him, the key performance indicators are usage and trust. High adoption rates show that employees find value in the tools, and transparency helps create a culture where innovation can thrive. “The goal is to innovate for the individual,” OJ said. “People will find use cases that bubble up into broader organizational improvements.”
Managing Risk and Responsible Use
Armanino’s AI strategy also prioritizes security and governance. The firm operates as a “frontier partner” with Microsoft, developing customized Copilot instances that allow employees to use AI securely within the firm’s private network.
As OJ noted, “Because if you don’t give people an option, I will say this, bring your own AI is certainly a problem that’s happening out in the world today. And if we don’t provide those tools, they’ll look up and find them somewhere else and probably a less safe option.”
This approach ensures that employees have access to the technology they need while minimizing security risks.
Looking Ahead: Opportunity and Change
In reflecting on the future, OJ acknowledged both the opportunities and challenges that AI brings to professional services. While automation will continue to transform workflows, he believes the role of human expertise remains critical. “Businesses will continue to need advisory services and compliance support,” he said. “The challenge will be overcoming fear and adapting to a new way of working.”
He remains optimistic about the road ahead. “As we continue to expand our capabilities and education on the tools, it’s going to look dramatically different,” OJ said. “And I think it’ll be for the better.”
Watch the Full Interview
To hear OJ Laos discuss Armanino’s AI Lab, the rollout of Copilot, and his perspective on leading AI initiatives across a major accounting and technology firm, watch the full conversation below.
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