Ensuring accuracy
Accountants have always worked with, relied upon and trusted technology. The term “accuracy” sounds precise, but in fact it may have different meanings in different circumstances. In some cases there is not a single correct answer. If you are trying to establish the extent of a provision required for obsolete stock, for example, whether using AI to assist or not, there is not a single figure that is right. Instead, when we talk about accuracy in this context it is about the AI producing appropriate results in the circumstances. In other cases, such as the calculation of a tax liability, accuracy is intended to be a much more precise term. We should expect AI to come up with an appropriate answer in each situation.
AI is subject to the risk of hallucinations where the answer is completely fictitious. In addition to entirely fictitious results, which are perhaps more likely to occur with generative AI with wide data training sets, there is a risk that even AI used internally could provide a result that is less than ideal for the organisation. It is vital therefore that, just like any other computer system, the results are checked against expectations.
AI AND ETHICS | PART THREE: ENSURING ACCURACY
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