Cited by 200Ethics and Social Impacts of AIRobotic Process Automation ApplicationsAuditing, Earnings Management, Governance

Bias and ethics of AI systems applied in auditing - A systematic review

Open access
Murikah, Wilberforce, Nthenge, Jeff Kimanga, Musyoka, Faith Mueni·2024·Scientific African

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence into auditing shows great potential in enhancing automation and gaining insights from complex data. However, it also presents significant ethical challenges, including algorithmic biases, transparency, accountability, and fairness. This study aimed to investigate the sources of bias and risks posed by AI systems applied in auditing and the complex downstream interactions and effects they have. The study also explored the technical and ethical guardrails proposed and recommendations for translating principles into auditing practice. A systematic methodology was employed to acquire relevant studies across scientific databases. This involved a three-step process, including a targeted search query using Boolean operators and snowballing to yield 310 preliminary publications. A systematic review process was then conducted to identify 123 relevant articles focused on AI's implications for auditing, accounting, finance, or assurance contexts. Finally, screening and filtering on research quality distilled 83 high-quality publications from the year 2018 to 2023 spanning computer science, accounting, management science, and ethics disciplines. The analysis revealed five primary sources driving technical and human biases: data deficiencies, demographic homogeneity, spurious correlations, improper comparators, and cognitive biases. It also highlighted wider issues, such as trade-offs between efficiency and diligence, erosion of human skills and…

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02281

Cites

112 of 112 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • When coupled with validation protocols and observation mechanisms, these boundaries are reinforced, ensuring each agent performs its assigned task transparently and accountably.

    “When coupled with validation protocols (e.g., response verification or schema checks in Waitgpt [219]) and observation mechanisms (e.g., feedback loops or audit logs [220, 221]), these boundaries are reinforced, ensuring that each agent not only performs its assigned task but does so transparently and accountably.”

Cites

1 retracted

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2 of the 114 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

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Authors
Murikah, W., Nthenge, J. K., & Musyoka, F. M.
Affiliations
  • United States International University Africa (KE)
  • University of Embu (KE)
Corresponding author
Murikah, Wilberforce
Venue
Scientific African
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-09
Volume
25
Pages
e02281
ISSN
2468-2276 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4399619293
Cited by
148
References
114
Citations by year
2026: 63 · 2025: 76 · 2024: 9
FWCI
11.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Scientific African (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering › Robotic Process Automation Applications
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Accounting › Auditing, Earnings Management, Governance
Keywords
artificial intelligence in auditing, algorithmic bias, AI ethics, data bias, spurious correlations, cognitive biases, human oversight, fairness and accountability, privacy risks, AI governance, causal models

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