Karbon has launched Kai, an AI coworker built into its accounting practice management platform. The product is in early access.
Kai works within the software that firms already use to store client records, workflows, and communications. It draws on information held in the platform as well as data from more than 80 native integrations.
The launch expands Karbon's use of artificial intelligence in software for accounting firms. Alongside Kai, the company introduced a set of AI tools and broader platform changes covering meeting notes, analytics, email handling, billing and client service workflows.
Mary Delaney, Chief Executive Officer at Karbon, said the company's approach is to embed AI in existing systems rather than treat it as a separate layer.
"AI multiplies when it's inside the tools you already use," said Delaney. "Kai is built on the client relationships, workflows, and practice knowledge your firm already manages in Karbon, including context drawn from 80+ native integrations that bring your full firm data into one place."
Kai can help practitioners with routine work, including planning the day, handling repetitive tasks, identifying client insights and coordinating work across teams through a conversational interface. It can also support firms as they expand services and set prices.
Wider rollout
Among the additional AI features is an AI notetaker, described as a native companion app that joins client meetings, captures transcripts and produces structured analysis inside Karbon. It is intended to turn discussions into follow-up work without a manual handover.
Another addition is a public MCP server, which Karbon said will allow firms to connect their practice management data to external AI tools via an open standard. The move opens the platform to third-party AI environments selected by accounting firms.
Karbon also introduced AI Analytics within its analytics product. The feature answers questions about firm performance and produces dashboards and visualisations in response to user requests.
Other AI tools include agentic period close checks, which automatically flag transactions that require further action during the close process, and AI email triage, which is intended to categorise messages, route them, and highlight critical items.
Platform changes
Outside AI, Karbon detailed several updates to the main platform. These include what it described as an end-to-end client lifecycle process covering services and pricing across client engagements, with built-in work creation, renewals, and repricing.
It also outlined changes to service delivery workflows, including document folder structures, client communications through the Karbon for Clients portal and an assignments view designed to show ownership and workload across teams.
Billing functions were also expanded to cover invoice presentation, multi-entity billing and reporting.
On integrations, Karbon announced native connections with Gusto, Wagepoint, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Dynamics. Those additions join the wider set of integrations already linked to the platform.
AI in accounting
The announcements reflect a broader push by software suppliers to embed AI into core business applications used by professional services firms. In accounting, that effort has centred on reducing manual work, extracting information from internal records and handling communications and workflow steps previously managed by staff.
Karbon's latest changes also indicate a move towards more autonomous software actions within established workflows, while still maintaining firm oversight of those functions. The company said agentic workflows will be embedded directly in existing service delivery processes, allowing AI to take autonomous action as part of firm operations.
Karbon was founded in 2014 and says it serves customers in 40 countries. The company has employees across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, and is backed by Tidemark and Five Elms.
The latest release was presented by Sara Goepel, Chief Product Officer at Karbon, alongside a broader set of product updates. Kai is now in early access, while many of the other features are already available, and the rest will be introduced over the coming months.