A KPMG Australia partner has been fined 10,000 Australian dollars (5,970 euros) after using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.to cheat in an internal training course on the use of AI.
The partner, whose name has not been revealed, was forced to retake the exam after uploading training materials to an AI platform to answer questions about the use of this rapidly evolving technology.
According to KPMG, Throughout this financial year, more than two dozen employees have been caught using AI tools for internal examinations.
This incident is the latest example of a professional services company fighting against its staff’s use of AI to cheat on exams or when producing work for clients.
“Like most organisations, we have had to grapple with the role and use of AI in relation to internal training and testing,” explains Andrew Yates, CEO of KPMG Australia. “It is something very difficult to control given the speed with which society has adopted it.”
And he adds: “Given the daily use of these tools, some people violate our policy. We take it very seriously when they do so. “We are also looking at ways to strengthen our focus on the current self-assessment system.”
The Association of Chartered Accountants, the world’s largest accounting body, ruled out remote testing late last year, claiming that its security measures could not keep pace with the “sophistication” of deception systems. The Big Four have been fined for scandals of this type in several countries in recent years.
KPMG explains that it has taken steps to identify the use of AI by its staff and will record how many of its workers have misused the technology when it publishes its annual results. The Australian Financial Review was the first outlet to report that a KPMG partner had been fined for cheating in the AI test.
The problem was highlighted last week during a Senate inquiry into the governance of the sector when Barbara Pocock, a senator from the Australian Green Party, asked about a “lack” at KPMG.
Pocock said it was “extremely disappointing” that no additional measures could have been taken. “We have an ineffective system where scammers… get away with it,” he denounced.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the corporate regulator, It says it has confirmed the incident with KPMG, but explains that it will not take further action until the auditors’ professional body initiates disciplinary proceedings against the partner.
ASIC points out that auditors are not required to report this type of misconduct, since each partner has the obligation to inform professional organizations.
