The Future of Auditing: How AI Will Transform the Profession by 2030

The study examines how AI technologies—machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation, and blockchain—will transform external auditing by 2030. Using a mixed-methods approach (systematic literature review and case studies of major audit firms), it finds that AI can boost fraud-detection accuracy to over 85%, enable full-population risk analysis, and cut manual reconciliation by up to 90%. Key challenges include data quality, algorithm transparency, regulatory gaps, cybersecurity, and the need for new auditor skills and ethical frameworks. The research offers a multidimensional framework and practical recommendations—phased AI adoption, robust data governance, specialized training, and updated standards—to guide the profession’s AI-driven evolution