Shaping the future of assurance: Advancing AI in the audit

The public company audit profession has never stood still. From the early 20^th century securities laws that first required independent verification of financial statements, to the significant governance reforms in the early 21^st century, to the integration of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence into audit processes today, the profession has continuously evolved with the business environment, technologies and regulatory frameworks of the time, while holding firm to the principles that make audited disclosures worth trusting: consistency, comparability and reliability.  In 2026, that evolution is accelerating as firms continue applying artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and connected digital workflows to enhance audit quality, strengthen execution, and provide deeper insights.

At RSM, three innovations that were added to our digital audit ecosystem within the past year—Ask Luca, Microsoft M365 Copilot and RSM Luca Resourcing—are examples of how the profession is continually investing in technology to enhance our processes while keeping professional judgment, trust and confidence at the center of the audit.

Ask Luca: trusted guidance where auditors work

Generative AI is a powerful tool that is reshaping how public company auditors approach and perform the audit. The profession is identifying where it can be deployed throughout the audit and other assurance-related engagements to increase efficiency and enhance audit quality.

Ask Luca, RSM’s generative AI copilot for assurance, gives our professionals faster access to firm-approved guidance sourced from RSM assurance manuals, practice aids and technical accounting guides. Ask Luca helps our auditors reduce research time, apply guidance more consistently, and focus more attention on the analysis, skepticism and judgment that define audit quality.

For other firms in our profession that have deployed comparable capabilities, grounding these tools in firm-approved guidance and experienced human review is vital.

AI expanding capacity for higher-value work

The strategic use of AI enables audit professionals to focus less on manual tasks and more deeply on the core value of the audit: providing reliable, decision-critical information to investors and other market participants.

At RSM, Microsoft M365 Copilot is helping our professionals work differently by supporting everyday tasks such as summarizing information, drafting communications, preparing meeting notes, and analyzing documents.

Used appropriately and with human oversight, tools like this free capacity for higher-value activities, helping our teams spend less time on routine work and more time understanding client risks, asking better questions, and delivering insights that support sound decision-making.

RSM Luca Resourcing: connecting people, projects and execution

Another benefit of investing in and deploying AI technology is that we are able to streamline workforce planning while empowering leaders with better insights to make faster, more informed staffing decisions.

For my colleagues and I at RSM, Luca Resourcing strengthens how we plan and deploy our talent by replacing manual processes with a more connected collaboration tool. The tool supports initial staffing requests, budget planning, and engagement leader review, helping teams improve their visibility into engagement planning and align the right resources to the right work at the right time.

This approach enables audit teams to focus more time on delivering high-quality client service and executing audits with consistency and professional rigor.

Building confidence in a changing market

Together, these innovations demonstrate how technology can enhance—not replace—the role of the auditor. Ask Luca supports consistent access to trusted guidance. Microsoft M365 Copilot helps professionals work with greater efficiency and focus. RSM Luca Resourcing improves the way teams plan, staff and execute engagements. Each advancement supports a common goal: enabling our people to deliver high-quality audits that help build trust and confidence in our markets.

As the marketplace continues to evolve, the public company audit profession must continue evolving and looking forward to progress along with it. That means investing in modern tools and developing new skills while applying the same independence, skepticism, and professional judgment that have long underpinned audit quality.