By Meg Flippin, Benzinga
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - December 11, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - The influence of artificial intelligence on the professional services sector is immense. By integrating quality into real-time compliance and enhancing operational efficiency, AI is enabling professional services firms to operate with amplified agility.
“AI is revolutionizing what we do,” said Asael Meir, Partner, Technology Industry Leader at CohnReznick, during Benzinga's Fintech Day & Awards 2025. “We’re in the midst of a real transformation of the business.”
In its 11th year, Benzinga’s annual Fintech Day & Awards 2025 brought together industry leaders, investors and innovators in AI, investing and fintech to discuss the trends impacting the industry today and into the future. A big focus of the event was how AI is transforming the professional services and fintech industries.
Quality AI Style
While CohnReznick has been extremely successful leveraging their global resources to improve unit economics, Meir said AI gives the company other options. It enables CohnReznick to simultaneously “embed quality improvements” into operations while reducing costs.
AI can be used for research, content creation, or quality control - and do it cheaper and faster. Meir pointed to compliance as a specific area where AI can thrive. AI can complete repetitive and mundane tasks such as formatting or proofing at reduced cost, he said. “I wake up in the morning, I open my Copilot and my jaw drops every single day as to what I can now do.”
AI contributes significantly to risk management, particularly within the context of today’s continuously connected environment. Traditionally, risk management was conducted at specific intervals; however, with AI it now occurs in real time, which enables immediate feedback to clients, according to Meir.
This adoption of AI within compliance will continue to grow, with Meir predicting that the systems and tools will get better. They have no choice. Meir said clients expect CohnReznick to provide value as it relates to AI innovation, whether it’s in audit or tax.
Deal-Making In 2026?
In addition to sitting down for a one-on-one with Benzinga, Meir also played moderator for the Benzinga Fintech Day & Award 2025 panel: Dealmaking in Fintech: What to Expect in 2026: IPO's, M&A and overall outlook in fintech dealmaking next year.
A major trend anticipated by panelists for 2026 is the convergence of DeFi and artificial intelligence, supported by a regulatory landscape that’s now far more accommodating. This shift is expected to lead to larger capital raises for companies working in this area. Ripple, the cryptocurrency firm that recently secured $500 million at a $40 billion valuation, will likely help fuel further interest in the sector in 2026.
AI’s Impacting Financial Services, Too
Panelists agreed that AI is here to stay and discussed the challenges and opportunities it brought. On the investment side, it makes it more difficult to invest, with technology advancing and changing so rapidly. But on upgrading the financial services in which many processes are still manual and labor-intensive, just like professional services, they agree it’s transformational.
Whether it's financial services or other professional services, AI is having a monumental impact from automating and speeding up operations to spurring multimillion-dollar investments. CohnReznick is playing a role in all of that.
To learn more about how CohnReznick is leveraging AI, click here.
This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.
This content was originally published on Benzinga. Read further disclosures here.
