Is Artificial Intelligence the Future of Auditing?
One of the technological fields that are quickly developing and have the potential to revolutionize many different sectors is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Due to rising data volumes, sophisticated algorithms, processing power, storage advancements, and other factors, AI has become a crucial component of our society's healthcare, sports, manufacturing, and retail sectors. The term "AI" describes computer systems that exhibit some form of human intelligence. It covers a range of complementary technologies, including data mining, machine learning, speech recognition, image recognition, and sentiment analysis.
AI could assist auditors in choosing the areas to examine and test, which is not a simple problem, given the amount of operational and financial information that flows through most firms. AI delivers valuable data that internal auditors can use to reduce risk. It can also help auditors take a nuanced look at transactions that appear unusual. For instance, an AI program might reveal how unusual sales reversals occur within one location's accounts receivable ledgers at quarter-end. Auditors would know to pay attention there.
Why haven't more companies adopted AI, given its potential? There are several variables at work. First, as with any initiative, AI projects must compete against other deserving competitors for corporate support and funding. Second, numerous efforts to integrate AI into the internal audit have probably been delayed due to remote labor during the pandemic. Third, although numerous groups are working on projects, there are currently no guidelines for creating AI. This absence of standards blocks the encouragement of a bigger, more compatible, and more productive market. The use of AI also creates ethical questions. For instance, improperly built models used to assess which home buyers qualify for a mortgage may exclude minorities who should. There are numerous unresolved issues.
Some people fear that using AI will eliminate the necessity for internal audits. Such worries are typically exaggerated because AI enables the evaluation of all transactions in real time and highlights those that seem troublesome, allowing AI to concentrate its efforts where they are most required. It does not render auditors useless.
Technology developments and the use of AI in the audit industry will increase the efficacy and, thus, the quality of the audit. As discussed, it is unimaginable that AI will entirely replace auditors. The judgment, expertise, and industry understanding of an auditor remain critical. Their extensive knowledge of the audit process enables technology to be effortlessly integrated into the areas where it will have the most significant impact—understanding the business and its surroundings, establishing benchmarks for material misstatements and delivering an opinion necessitate human interaction because the learning potential of AI machines is restricted to a certain level. More straightforward jobs, such as collecting audit evidence through samples, analyzing contracts, and finding abnormalities in papers, can be performed by AI-enabled machines. In the end, despite the increasing data and ubiquitous information, human auditors will continue to dominate the audit process in the next few years, and AI technology will empower and enable them to make crucial judgments and deliver high-quality audits.
In the long term, auditors will be forced to collaborate with AI by understanding and communicating the results generated by AI. According to Deloitte, the fear of job losses due to AI is unfounded, as recruitments in the audit industry increased by nearly two thousand individuals. It was concluded that technological change had recast the talent mix—the auditor's skill set and professional development demands have also transformed. Automation complements the auditor's function rather than replacing it, giving audit professionals more accurate and thorough insights to increase investor confidence and trust in the capital markets.
