Ernst & Young (EY) has introduced a comprehensive agentic artificial intelligence solution within its global Assurance division, impacting approximately 160,000 audit assignments and more than 10,000 in the Middle East and North Africa region.

This rollout incorporates a multi-agent system based on Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Foundry, and Microsoft Fabric into EY Canvas, their unified global Assurance technological platform. Currently, this platform processes over 1.4 trillion journal entries annually and facilitates the daily operations of around 130,000 assurance experts. The deployment was preceded by extensive testing and pilot phases, with a forecasted full integration of all audit procedures by 2028.

Technical foundations and strategic context

The agentic framework is crafted to assist audit teams in managing intricate tasks and processes, responding to risks more flexibly, and leveraging real-time auditing and accounting guidelines. The advanced audit approach seeks to lessen the administrative load on clients, enhance risk evaluation, and maintain professional judgment throughout the engagement process.

Furthermore, this deployment is part of EY’s substantial investment in enhancing audit quality, technological capabilities, and personnel development as outlined under their ‘All In’ global strategy. This includes a comprehensive training initiative that will take place from 2026 onwards, equipping all audit and technology risk professionals with the necessary skills.

Alongside these technological advancements, EY is offering specialized AI assurance services for clients embarking on AI-driven business transformations. These encompass AI diagnostics, governance frameworks, risk management, and controls design to assist organizations in assessing their readiness for AI, managing associated risks, and reinforcing accountability structures.

The extensive scope of this initiative, covering both the scale of audits and the number of staff involved, indicates a broader transformation within the audit profession towards AI-integrated practices. As regulatory bodies and standard-setting organizations continue to outline guidelines for AI usage in financial reporting and assurance, the widespread adoption of agentic AI by major auditing networks is expected to attract scrutiny and may eventually influence emerging industry standards.