Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm. Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT (an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI) has been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In a recent seminar Richard taught in Rome, more than half of the internal auditors in attendance indicated that they already use it in their professional roles.
Like many, I dipped my toe in the water and tried ChatGPT early on. Unfortunately, I asked questions that it did not answer accurately, so it lost my confidence. However, following some tips from participants in my recent seminar, I reengaged with ChatGPT – this time with more favorable results.
Several articles have been written about internal auditors use of ChatGPT, including this recent article in the IIA’s Internal Auditor magazine:
“Internal auditing is among the many professions that are realizing how ChatGPT could shape their future,” according to the article. “It’s an exciting conversation to have, but it comes with a degree of risk for early adopters. . . . For example, as sophisticated as ChatGPT is as a language platform, it is not capable of discerning whether information is accurate, nor can it appropriately cite sources for the information that is presented.”
With all the risks in mind, I decided to dive back in and find out exactly what ChatGPT would have to say about internal auditing. So, over the past week, I “interviewed” ChatGPT.