IT will increase role of soft skills for accountants, says BT guru

Futurologist tells Annual Conference that progress in software means accountants must brush up on interpersonal skills. By Camilla Berens, freelance journalist.

Advances in information technology will make good interpersonal skills crucial for accountants, BT’s futurologist, Ian Pearson, has warned.

Speaking at this year’s CIMA Annual Conference, he told delegates that by 2015 computers will ‘be almost as smart as you. By 2020 your watch will be smarter than you’. Accountants will have to brush up on their soft skills. ‘The information economy will be taken over by software and human interpersonal skills will have precedence,’ he said.

The future of communication will be in the form of smarter and more flexible devices, according to Pearson. He predicted that information kept on portable devices will soon be accessible from transfers attached to the skin. ‘Anything you can do on a Blackberry, you’ll be able to do on a disposable video tattoo,’ he said.

An important advance in the next 15 years will be a convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, IT and cognitive science. ‘It sounds like science fiction but £15bn a year is being spent trying to work out how to connect computer chips to your brain,’ he added.

Information accessories

Pearson has worked for BT for 15 years and claims an 85 per cent prediction success rate. According to him, large amounts of information will soon be stored on small objects such as earrings and pendants. This will enable personal data to be carried on ‘information accessories’ and transferred electronically to other people. ‘You’ll be able to choose what kind of information you want to share, depending on who you’re talking to,’ he added. ‘This could be anything from your business details to your medical records.’

Pearson also predicted that contact lenses will soon display data directly onto the retina. ‘Imagine negotiating with someone while their entire accounts are scrolling down in front of you. It could give you a great advantage,’ he said.

December 2006