Is Your AI a Back-Seat Driver? Why Firms Need Team-Mates, Not Just Co-Pilots

Jordan Vickery

Jul 1, 2025

·

3

min read

Train station platform with a glass wall.
Train station platform with a glass wall.
Train station platform with a glass wall.

The Silent Take-over: How AI Slipped into the Ledger

Not long ago, “AI in accounting” meant glorified OCR and some clunky rules-based automation. Fast forward to today and we’ve got bots that summarise tax updates, draft tricky emails, even nudge clients on overdue tasks.

And firms are leaning in. A 2024 UK survey found 63% of accountancy firms already use AI in some form. Across ANZ, it’s similar—firms are adopting everything from chatbots to predictive analytics tools.

But not all AI tools are created equal. And lately, there’s a new divide worth talking about: co-pilots vs. team-mates.

Co-Pilot AI — The Reactive Sidekick

Co-pilot AI is what most of us first got our hands on. Tools like ChatGPT, Excel’s Copilot, or Xero’s new ‘Ask’ feature. They wait for instructions—then leap into action.

Think of them like a very bright intern who only speaks when spoken to. You prompt, they respond. Need a VAT summary? A bulleted meeting recap? A snappy LinkedIn caption? Just ask, and it’s yours.

These tools shine when you know exactly what you want:

  • Ad hoc research

  • Drafting messages

  • Explaining regulations in plain English

But there’s a catch. It’s all on you to drive. You have to prompt well, remember to ask, and know what the tool can do. If your prompt’s vague, you’ll get waffle. If you forget to use it, nothing happens.

And let’s be honest—juggling tabs and writing prompts between client calls and team huddles? It gets tiring. Fast.

Team-Mate AI — The Proactive Colleague

Now imagine an AI tool that doesn’t wait for instructions. It notices that you’ve had a meeting, captures the key points, assigns the next actions, and even nudges your client with a tidy follow-up email.

That’s team-mate AI.

It’s not just answering questions. It’s doing the work—with initiative. It connects to your calendar, email, and task tools, then acts based on context.

Vinyl is a good example here. Our platform quietly joins client calls, takes bulletproof notes, and pushes the actions into your practice systems—without needing you to lift a finger. It’s not reacting. It’s working.

But we also know the value of a co-pilot. That’s why Vinyl comes with its own ‘Ask Vinyl’ feature. It lets you search your transcripts, get reminders, or spin up content and follow-ups—just by asking. So while Vinyl’s doing work behind the scenes, it’s also on hand when you want something done right now.

What makes team-mates different:

  • They trigger off real events (not prompts)

  • They use your workflows and preferences

  • They save you asking altogether

  • Bonus: the good ones still offer co-pilot-style flexibility

Of course, they need a bit of setup. And there’s a trust curve—letting go is hard when your name’s on the file. But once they’re in, they don’t just assist. They actually lighten your load.

Head-to-Head: Co-Pilots vs Team-Mates

Here’s how the two stack up:

Feature

Co-Pilot AI

Team-Mate AI

Initiative

Waits for prompt

Acts proactively

Context memory

Limited to session

Pulls from multiple tools

Training time

Low

Medium upfront setup

Compliance risk

Medium (prompt error)

Lower (standardised outputs)

ROI timeline

Immediate on small tasks

Higher payoff over time

We’ve heard from partners who love their AI co-pilot for newsletters and client guides—but swear by their proactive tools for recurring admin and client service.

Where Each Shines (and Stumbles)

Use reactive AI when:

  • You need one-off help drafting something.

  • You’re brainstorming new service lines.

  • You’re researching unfamiliar rules

Use proactive AI when:

  • You’re repeating the same admin every week.

  • You’re in back-to-back calls and forget follow-ups.

  • You want consistent client experience—without babysitting it.

Many firms are now pairing the two. Think: co-pilot drafts your blog post, team-mate chases the client review after your planning call. Magic.

Picking the Right Mix for Your Firm

Before jumping in, take a beat. Where does your team waste the most time? Is it switching between apps? Forgetting follow-ups? Manually entering tasks?

Start small. Pilot one tool. Track the hours saved, the tasks completed, and—this one’s key—whether your team actually uses it.

And don’t forget the people side. Upskilling your team, rethinking workflows, building trust in the outputs—that’s where the real gains lie.

The Bottom Line: AI That Pulls Its Weight

Co-pilots are clever. But they’re still waiting for instructions. If your practice is drowning in repeat tasks, client chasers, and team handoffs, it might be time to bring in AI that acts like a real colleague—not just a clever chatbot.

And the best tools? They give you both. Proactive support that gets the job done and on-demand answers when you need them.

Because at the end of the day, we don’t just need tech that answers. We need tech that does.


Co-Founder

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"I've been wary of AI notetakers in the past...but Vinyl just gets it. So easy to set up, and the summaries hone in on all the important items. Everything just happens automatically, reducing all the small tasks that quickly add up."

Cameo Ashe
Lemonade Beach Accounting

Vinyl helps you to transcribe, summarise, and action your client meeting notes: automatically using AI.

© 2025 Vinyl

Vinyl helps you to transcribe, summarise, and action your client meeting notes: automatically using AI.

© 2025 Vinyl

Vinyl helps you to transcribe, summarise, and action your client meeting notes: automatically using AI.

© 2025 Vinyl