Chartered Skilled Accountants (CPAs) are “uniquely positioned” to fill the belief hole in AI, based on a joint publication from CPA Canada and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
The findings come from the third and last paper in CPA Canada and the AICPA’s AI sequence, known as Closing the AI belief hole: The position of the CPA in AI assurance.
As AI turns into extra built-in into day by day life, considerations about privateness, bias, and misuse are rising. The paper highlights how CPA-led assurance companies can handle key AI dangers.
Unbiased assurance, a long-standing service offered by CPAs in high-risk areas, is likely one of the simplest methods to construct belief.
CPA Canada AI skilled and co-author of the paper Melissa Robertson stated: “Confidence in AI isn’t just about easing public concern, it’s important to lowering the chance of economic loss, regulatory penalties and reputational harm.
“These dangers are particularly excessive in Canada, the place AI literacy ranks among the many lowest on this planet.”
Assurance presents third-party validation that advanced methods are designed and working as supposed, and this experience is now being prolonged to AI.
“We have now well-established processes, skilled requirements and instruments to make sure high quality,” Robertson added.
“As a regulated career grounded in belief, CPAs carry the abilities, oversight and objectivity that AI methods demand.”
CPAs apply assurance and compliance frameworks to assist organisations assess important applied sciences, together with HR platforms, monetary methods, and cloud-based storage companies.
These evaluations utilise CPA auditing practices and instruments such because the system and organisation controls (SOC) suite, addressing areas similar to safety, privateness, and reliability.
“Most organisations already depend on SOC studies to validate their methods,” based on Robertson.
“Now we’re seeing rising demand from main gamers for a similar degree of assurance round AI. In the present day, many CPA companies are nonetheless exploring AI assurance as a service—tomorrow, they are going to be delivering it.”
The Future Prepared Accountant Report by Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting in February 2025, revealed that AI is anticipated to considerably impression the accounting career.
Nonetheless, it isn’t but a high technique amongst companies figuring out as innovators or early adopters.
Solely 27% of tax and accounting professionals presently use Generative AI, with 22% planning adoption inside the subsequent 12 months.
Regardless of AI’s potential advantages, similar to process automation and value discount, considerations about knowledge safety, accuracy, and implementation prices persist.
