African internal auditors have been urged to adopt to the use of Artificial Intelligence, among other emerging technologies as part of efforts to advance the nascent profession on the continent.

The call was made on Monday, May 26, during the official opening of the 11th African Federation of Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) Conference in Kigali which brought together internal auditors from across the continent. Experts argued that as the world embraces the digital revolution, the internal auditing profession must not be left behind.

Ruth Doreen Mutebe, the Chairperson of the African Federation of Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA), emphasized how artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an emerging force within the field.

She said: "When it comes to the profession of internal auditing, it's an emerging trend and we have adopted technology before in terms of analytics, in terms of interrogating the work that we are doing, in terms of keeping our documentation, and in terms of managing our reports. So, we are at a point where we are adopting artificial intelligence.”

Building on this momentum, Mutebe noted that the pace of AI adoption varies across different countries, with some moving ahead swiftly while others are still catching up. She stressed that despite these differences, the internal audit community remains committed to the journey, taking a deliberate and strategic approach to integrating AI into their operations.

"Internal audit is also taking that approach. Some countries have moved faster, others are following, others are yet to adopt. So, like I said, it's a journey. But we are very intentional in adopting artificial intelligence in the way that we are working.”

Jean Sauveur Mizerere, the Systems Audit Manager at Bank of Kigali, echoed similar sentiments. He highlighted how AI is already transforming core-auditing tasks such as data analysis, root cause identification, and report writing at Bank of Kigali.

Mizerere said that institutions like Bank of Kigali have already set strategic plans and roadmaps to integrate AI into their internal audit functions.

"For instance, in Bank of Kigali we have set a strategic plan on how our internal audit function will leverage the use of AI. We have a roadmap on what can we start with. It has to have a roadmap on how you are going to achieve AI-driven internal audit function. And the Bank of Kigali has started with that,” he added.

David Kanamugire, the CEO of Rwanda’s National Cyber Security Authority, urged professionals to fully embrace artificial intelligence, stressing that AI is no longer optional but essential for remaining competitive.

"Forget everything... just remember AI,” he declared, highlighting how AI's ability to read, write, hear, and respond is reshaping decision-making and governance.

"Now they (computers) can read and they can write back, and they can talk and they can hear, and they can respond, and you can't do anything about it. Neither legislation nor technology. And that's the future we are all thinking about,” he emphasized.

Kanamugire called for a shift from rigid control to collaborative adaptation, emphasizing the importance of staying alert to emerging trends and using data as a key pillar for future success.

For Mutebe, adopting to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence comes with challenges. She pointed out that issues such as data privacy, resistance to change, and the need for proper regulation must be addressed to ensure responsible and effective use of AI in the internal audit profession.

"The challenge is one; we have to build a skill as internal auditors in using artificial intelligence. Those are some of the discussions that we'll be having over this week. Secondly, you have to invest resources in artificial intelligence. The other challenge is cyber-attacks. Every time you adopt technology, you expose your systems to attacks by fraudulent people. So, if you're hacked into, the effects of that and the damage may be even far reaching compared to the benefits that you expected.”