Vertex's four guiding principles to AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in reshaping industries and revolutionizing the way we work. From healthcare to finance, AI and the advancements in Generative AI have been instrumental in transforming the landscape of various sectors, and the world of tax software is no exception. At Vertex, we have reaffirmed our commitment to the responsible use of AI throughout our solutions in a way that is guided by our four core principles:  

Principle 1: Aligning AI with the Right Use Cases: We recognize that AI is not one-size-fits-all, and neither are the processes and problem spaces in which AI is applied. AI works well for use cases around recommendations, pattern recognition and translations. These tend to be workloads in which statistical and probabilistic models can be applied. As such, Vertex is applying AI to the use cases that it excels at, such as assisting in configuration tasks and driving insights through deeper understanding of the patterns in data. We also recognize that when it comes to tax, there is no room for error – you must get tax right from the start. Which is why other technologies, such as rules engines, are used when we need to ensure accurate tax calculation. These technologies tend to be deterministic with the same inputs and rules producing the desired results. Vertex is committed to applying AI to the workloads it is best at and continuing to assess where to apply it as the technology and use cases evolve.   

Principle 2: Empowering Users with Control: We want to ensure sure that our customers are in the driver’s seat with how much, how little, and when they decide to utilize AI. Vertex co-pilots will be embedded into our solutions, allowing the customer the ability to dial up or down its assistance. These AI aides provide customers with insights, recommendations, research and even approvals they can choose whether or not they want to take action against.  

Principle 3: Prioritizing Data Security and Privacy: AI relies on data, and we already have high standards in place to make sure our customers’ information remains protected and private. Since we have these existing control frameworks in place, we are taking those high standards forward and responsibility utilizing them throughout the progression of AI’s journey in tax software.  

Principle 4: Leveraging Human Intelligence for Accountability: Building upon principle three, we combine human intelligence with AI to uphold our high standards. This means applying our own internal review process to balance the probabilistic nature of AI performance. Collaboratively, the capabilities of human ingenuity and AI can result in enhanced productivity and increased efficiency. 

The rise of AI, and in particular Generative AI, in the tax software industry is not just a trend; it's a transformation. Vertex is dedicated to strategically harnessing the technology’s potential in specific use cases to help our customers while maintaining control, ensuring data security, and promoting accountability. Through this steadfast commitment, we are not only providing our customers with an enhanced experience, valuable insights, and improved productivity, but also helping to shape the future of the tax software industry.