Big Four accounting firm EY launched on Tuesday enterprise-scale agentic AI in assurance, part of a multibillion-dollar commitment to audit quality, technology, and its people.
EY is embedding a new multi-agent framework, integrated with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Foundry, and Microsoft Fabric, into EY Canvas—the firm’s global assurance technology platform that processes more than 1.4 trillion lines of journal entry data per year.
Encompassing the daily workflows of 130,000 assurance professionals across 160,000 audit engagements and more than 150 countries and territories, EY says these capabilities will help audit teams orchestrate complex tasks, processes, and technologies, as well as address risks more dynamically while accessing continuously updated auditing and accounting guidance.
This overall agentic integration immediately embeds AI in all phases of the audit globally through the EY Canvas platform, the firm noted in a media release on April 7. This follows a sustained period of extensive and successful testing and piloting. It’s expected to support all end-to-end audit activities by 2028.
“This technology is underpinned by a modern approach for EY auditors, which will reduce administrative burden for clients, improve risk assessments, and maintain the fundamental role of human judgment, skepticism, and insight,” the accounting firm said. “This will tailor workflows to engagements, further strengthen quality, streamline processes, provide additional insights, drive confidence, and improve the audit experience for EY clients and people.”
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Janet Truncale, EY global chair and CEO, said in a statement, “As we help the world’s leading organizations transform, we hold ourselves to the same standard—starting as ‘client zero.’ The rapid growth of data, and the new complexities of assuring AI, demand that our people and technology evolve faster than ever. EY’s human-led, AI-powered audit of the future is a market-leading example of enterprise AI in action, delivering greater value, deeper insight, and increased confidence for our clients and stakeholders—accelerated by our continued investment under the All in strategy.”
EY says its updated audit methodology and frameworks support greater depth, relevance, and confidence in the audit at a time when the complexities associated with providing assurance on AI are “dynamic and still emerging.”
They also support a suite of assurance services for audit and non-audit clients spanning AI diagnostics, governance, risk management, and controls—helping organizations assess readiness, manage AI related risks, and support accountability and measurable outcomes as they modernize.
“EY’s commitment to our own transformation uniquely positions us to help organizations around the world implement AI at scale,” Marie-Laure Delarue, EY global vice chair of assurance, said in a statement. “With our people at the center and powered by our alliance with Microsoft, EY is delivering greater value, deeper insight, and increased confidence for our clients and stakeholders—as we will continually redefine the value of the audit in an AI era.”
This deployment is bolstered by EY’s strategic alliances, particularly with Microsoft, whose cloud and AI technologies are deeply integrated into the firm’s technology platform.
EY is part of the inaugural class of the Frontier Firm AI Initiative, a collaboration between Microsoft and The Harvard Digital Data Design Institute, and one of only 14 participating organizations recognized for deploying advanced AI at scale.
“EY’s pioneering use of Microsoft’s cloud and AI solutions shows what is possible when advanced technology is deployed at enterprise scale,” Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft commercial business, said in a statement. “As a recognized Frontier Firm, EY is leading the way in responsible, scalable AI for assurance—accelerating innovation while helping organizations realize real business value.”
In addition to its significant investment in technology, EY says it has built a global training program to further upskill all global audit and technology risk professionals this year. The structured program will include immersive and in-person learning and will be continuously updated in line with developments in regulation, technology, and methodology.
“EY’s bold steps to embed AI within one of our most foundational services—building trust and confidence in capital markets—send a strong signal about the power, potential and reliability of this technology,” Raj Sharma, EY global managing partner of growth and innovation, said in a statement. “This transformation is underpinned by EY’s deep, long‑standing strategic alliance with Microsoft, whose cloud and AI technologies are integral to the responsible, secure, and scalable deployment of advanced AI across EY’s assurance business globally.”
Photo credit: JHVEPhoto/iStock
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