TXCPA Houston and TrueUp host chatbot invention challenge

The Houston CPA Society (TXCPA Houston)) in Texas has partnered with TrueUp, a creator of game-based learning platforms, to host a chatbot-making competition.

Last year, TrueUp hosted an accounting and finance blockchain challenge for which accounting firms were encouraged to sign up to provide mentorship to student entrants. This competition will be similar, with accounting professionals sought to provide advice to students creating chatbots for accounting processes.

“We’re excited to be the first accounting association to collaborate with TrueUp to raise the profile of the national bot challenge in a local market," stated Donny Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMA, director of innovation, TXCPA Houston. “Bots can be a great help in automating some of the more routine accounting tasks — freeing up accountants to do more meaningful work. We knew this would be a wonderful learning opportunity for both our students and professionals. We see this as a way for students to help show their creativity and for professionals to see examples of how bots can enhance their abilities.”

TrueUp will supply student participants with both educational materials and tools to design, develop and deploy their own accounting chatbot. This includes a checklist to define the chatbot, a template to design the conversation, such as establishing questions and responses from the chatbot to the human, and access to a bot-builder platform where students will deploy their chatbot to TrueUp’s Bot Lot. Beginners are welcome, as participants do not need to have pre-existing knowledge of chatbots as TrueUp is providing all reference materials that assumes beginner level.

Accounting firm professionals have an opportunity to access, interact with, and evaluate each students’ accounting chatbot. Professionals that participate and provide feedback on the chatbots created by students will receive TrueUp’s chatbot reference materials and templates designed to help firms evaluate how to innovate with chatbot technology and use it to support their clients.

Students and professors must register by March 23 and the challenge begins on April 1 when students receive the full packet of instructions and access to the chatbot tools. Firm professionals can register anytime through April 15 and will receive access to the chatbots for the full month of May. Register at https://www.trueupnow.com/bots.