ISLAMABAD: Artificial intelligence has emerged as the leading ethical challenge facing the accountancy profession, with 61 percent of finance professionals identifying AI use as their biggest concern, compared with 32 percent in 2024, according to a new global survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Released in connection with Global Ethics Day, observed on October 21, the report, Navigating Ethics for Trust, highlights growing concerns about the responsible use of AI, professional accountability and ethical decision-making in an increasingly technology-driven financial environment.
The survey gathered responses from 1,178 finance and accountancy professionals across 135 countries, supplemented by roundtable discussions.
Besides AI, ethical leadership and organisational culture remained major concerns, cited by 43 percent and 39 percent of respondents, respectively.
The findings showed that 50 percent of respondents believed ethical challenges had become more difficult to resolve over the past three years, while 53 percent reported witnessing unethical behaviour during the same period.
Despite these concerns, 89 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the profession’s ethical capabilities, although they stressed the importance of continuous professional development.
Commenting on the findings, ACCA Head of Ethics and Assurance Sarah Lane said finance professionals remained committed to established ethical principles but needed practical guidance to address increasingly complex situations.
“Finance professionals are not asking for more rules, the fundamental principles remain the ethical anchor. They are asking for the tools, support and guidance needed to apply the fundamental principles in an increasingly complex world,” she said.
ACCA Pakistan Head Assad Hameed Khan said the growing adoption of AI in business and finance required professionals to maintain integrity, objectivity, competence, confidentiality and accountability.
He emphasised that Pakistani finance professionals must critically assess AI-generated information rather than rely on automated outputs without professional judgement.
He said ethical leadership, supportive workplace cultures and continuous learning would be essential to ensuring responsible technology use and maintaining public confidence.
The report also found that trust in the accountancy profession was closely associated with strong ethical standards, cited by 46 percent of respondents, transparency by 38 percent and independence by 36 percent.
To support professionals, ACCA has introduced a practical toolkit outlining a 10-step approach to applying the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants in real-world situations.
Sarah Lane said ACCA would further strengthen ethics education through its redesigned qualification, scheduled for introduction next year, with ethical principles integrated throughout the programme.
The report and accompanying toolkit are available on ACCA’s official website.