AI's Impact on SOX Compliance: A New Era of Hidden Risks and Control Challenges
The rapid integration of AI into financial processes is creating significant challenges for Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, reminiscent of pre-SOX environments where informal controls and assumptions led to vulnerabilities. Internal audit and assurance professionals must recognize that AI introduces new layers of complexity, opacity, and potential for manipulation, demanding a proactive re-evaluation and strengthening of control frameworks to maintain financial reporting integrity.