When Steve Hare first qualified as an accountant, he never imagined presenting to 4,000 people as chief executive of the UK's largest technology firm, steering it into the age of AI. However, he believes his accounting background will prove pivotal in managing one of the most transformational technologies seen in a generation. Hare joined AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert at the Sage Future user conference in Atlanta last week, where he spelt out his vision for how artificial intelligence will be implemented across Sage’s product lines, helping the vendor leapfrog competitors and position Sage at the forefront of AI accounting – but also outlined why he believes there will always be a need for accountants.