The world is changing. While my crystal ball is murky, it is clear to me that organizations will be relying more and more on AI in business processes.
Yes, they will replace some human jobs. Maybe new human jobs will be created, although I am not sufficiently optimistic that even those won’t be replaced in time.
Some say that humans will be required for their judgment. I’m not so sure! The Merriam-Webster gives us this definition:
a: the act or process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing
b: an opinion or decision that is based on careful thought
AIs can do that, maybe even better than most humans, especially with guided practice.
But an essential role for internal audit remains: providing the (humans on the) board and in executive management with the assurance, advice, and insight they need.
They need it now, as AI transforms business processes. We need to provide assurance that the transformation is the right transformation, done effectively.
…and they need further assurance when it comes to the CONTINUED performance of AI in business processes.
Not only will AI agents do what they should now, but will they continue to perform properly as they develop and learn?
In the old days (i.e., before last week), if software did something today, it…
