Ep 223: AI Agents in Internal Audit in 2025 w/ Charles King
Jan 7, 2025
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In this engaging discussion, Charles King, KPMG US's Internal Controls Leader in AI, shares his insights on the future of internal auditing. He highlights the rapid rise of AI adoption, with organizations leveraging tools from basic functions to advanced applications. Charles explains the concept of AI agents and their transformative potential for auditors, enhancing workflows while automating mundane tasks. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals in harnessing AI, ensuring that technology serves the audit profession effectively.
AI adoption in internal auditing has risen significantly, with 60% of companies utilizing solutions, improving efficiency and communication.
The podcast highlights the future potential of agentic AI to autonomously perform tasks, significantly enhancing productivity in internal audit processes.
Deep dives
Leveraging AI for Internal Audit Efficiency
AI serves as a valuable resource for addressing various barriers in internal audit processes. Emphasizing the importance of enhancing audit management platforms, the podcast suggests that successful internal audits often hinge on selecting the right combination of tools, including analytics and automation. By streamlining operations and aligning team efforts through effective tool utilization, audits that traditionally take weeks can be completed in a much shorter timeframe. Ultimately, the adoption of AI not only simplifies processes but also fosters better communication and collaboration within audit teams.
The Rise of AI Adoption in Internal Audit
Recent trends indicate a significant increase in AI adoption among internal auditors, with approximately 60% of companies adopting AI solutions—up from 33% the previous year. This was propelled by user-friendly systems that allow auditors to draft documents and test controls more efficiently. Organizations have also seen success in creating libraries of proven AI prompts, which have helped improve team capabilities. However, while many firms are experimenting with preliminary applications, only a small percentage have fully integrated custom solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Understanding the Role of Agents in AI
The podcast outlines the emerging concept of agentic AI, which enables software to execute tasks autonomously rather than simply providing information. This advancement allows users to issue commands that agents can interpret and act upon, such as drafting and sending emails, thus significantly reducing time spent on routine administrative tasks. As companies increasingly leverage these capabilities, the potential for agents to enhance productivity across various functions is highlighted. Furthermore, the future may see these agents interconnected, enabling further automation of collaborative and operational tasks.
Setting Clear Goals for AI Integration
For successful AI implementation in internal audit, it is crucial to establish clear, overarching goals rather than vague objectives. Auditors are encouraged to focus on specific outcomes they hope to achieve, such as improving audit timelines or increasing assurance measures. By articulating precise objectives, teams can better determine which tools or combinations of tools will be effective in meeting their needs. This structured approach can lead to more significant improvements and a more cohesive strategy, driving value within the internal audit function.
This week’s episode, we're joined by Charles King, Internal Controls Leader in AI at KPMG US.
In this episode, Charles brings a unique perspective as both an AI expert and an audit professional, He looks back on key moments from 2024, talks about where organizations are on the maturity model, and unpacks the biggest topic of 2025: agents. Charles does a fantastic job breaking down what agents are and what they mean for audit professionals. Be sure to connect with Charles on LinkedIn.
Also, be sure to follow us on our new social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
This podcast is brought to you by Greenskies Analytics, the services firm that helps auditors leap-frog up the analytics maturity model. Their approach for launching audit analytics programs with a series of proven quick-win analytics will guarantee the results worthy of the analytics hype.
Whether your audit team needs a data strategy, methodology, governance, literacy, or anything else related to audit and analytics, schedule time with Greenskies Analytics.
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