When an Accountant Became an AI-Powered Coder
A 39-year-old accountant, Wei Khjan Chan, recently made headlines for harnessing AI tools to transform his day-to-day job. After nearly two decades in accounting, Chan saw automation creeping into his profession — and instead of fearing the change, he decided to get ahead of it. He embraced a rising trend called “vibe coding,” where AI helps non-programmers write functional code with simple prompts.
What began as curiosity soon turned into a full-blown personal project: Chan built a web application that handles routine and time-consuming accounting tasks for him.
What the Web App Does — From Receipts to Invoices
Chan’s first major creation addressed a common pain point: expense claims after business trips. His web tool uses AI-powered optical character recognition (OCR) to scan receipts, detect relevant details (dates, amounts, vendors), and automatically organize them into the company’s financial records — eliminating hours of manual data entry and reducing human error.
He didn’t stop there. Building on the same foundation, he added features that automate invoice generation and other repetitive workflows.
Learning to Code — Bit by Bit, After Work
What’s remarkable is that Chan had no formal coding background. He started learning via weekend coding workshops and gradually experimented with AI-driven “vibe coding.” He worked late at night after his day job, breaking tasks into small steps: “give the AI a clear prompt, test what it outputs, refine, and repeat.” Over time, these incremental improvements added up to a fully functional app.
His approach underscores a new reality: you don’t need to be a software engineer to build useful tools anymore. With AI assistants, people in non-tech roles can automate repetitive work — and regain time and efficiency.
What This Means for Professionals in the AI Era
AI skills are becoming as fundamental as Excel: Chan sees “AI know-how” not as optional, but as essential for future competitiveness — especially in roles vulnerable to automation.
Automation by creation, not replacement: Instead of waiting to be replaced by software, Chan used AI to empower himself — turning a threat into an opportunity.
Small steps work: His success suggests you don’t need long coding bootcamps — just curiosity, consistency, and the smart use of AI tools.
A glimpse into work’s future: As more non-coders adopt “vibe coding,” traditional boundaries between roles (accountants vs developers) may blur — making work more flexible and technology-driven.
Final Thoughts
The story of Wei Khjan Chan isn’t just inspiring — it’s illustrative of a broader shift in how work gets done. With AI-powered tools and a willingness to learn, even professionals outside tech can automate tedious tasks, increase productivity, and secure relevance in an increasingly automated world.
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