Chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) need to build trust in artificial intelligence (AI) by taking steps in their organizations to manage the associated risks.

As AI plays a greater role in the accounting and financial reporting of businesses, CFOs, and financial controllers will have to be confident about the adequacy of oversight and controls of AI systems. In the first in a series of insights, AI monitor: trust, ACCA urges finance professionals to ensure that AI governance and AI risk management are in place, beginning with Investing in AI literacy and skills development: finance professionals must invest in education and training to critically evaluate AI outputs, communicate clearly with key stakeholders, and make informed decisions. Collaborating via cross-functional teams: finance professionals should actively engage with IT, data science, legal, and risk management teams.

Developing an AI governance framework: beginning with critical uses, finance professionals should take steps within their organization to establish clear policies, oversight, and governance practices.

AI presents many opportunities to businesses such as providing more insights from a wider array of information sources, driving greater efficiency and better customer experiences. But it also poses a challenge to trust in accounting and finance reporting with new dynamics being introduced to the traditional trust mechanisms that underpin corporate accounting.

Alistair Brisbourne, Head of Technology Research, ACCA, said: ‘Introducing AI is both about trust in the systems and the people we work with, and how we bring those two elements together. ‘CEOs and CFOs need to focus on making the changes needed to harness the many potential opportunities and retain trust. This includes upskilling to deal with the technology and introducing new knowledge into their organizations. They also need to focus on the governance, oversight, and culture required to allow different teams to work together effectively. It’s about bringing change management and governance together.’

AI monitor: trust highlights some of the risks of AI in accounting systems, such as: Impacting decision-making without clearly explaining the rationale of the forecast or recommendation; An over-dependence on AI procedures in auditing and assurance, and a decline in the use of human intervention and judgment;

Concern over AI bias or error in fraud detection, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring; Over-reliance on AI-powered virtual assistants that give inaccurate or inappropriate responses. Brisbourne said: ‘In the AI era the role of finance professionals is to focus on the outcomes driven by technology. The value lies in understanding how these outputs inform decisions and actions that drive business outcomes.’In 2024 issues of the AI monitor will explore talent, risk and controls, the relevance of effective data strategy, and sustainability applications. Read Enabling trust in an AI-enhanced world.

Press Release Syntax Communications

Dr. Sundus

Dr. Sundus is a Media Professional; a Journalist/TV & Radio Broadcaster and an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mass Communication, NUST; she has work experience in Electronic, Print, and Web Media, she has been serving Magazine Journalism since 2006, and Ph.D. in Strategic Communication from University Utara Malaysia.

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