Amman, Nov. 10 (Petra) -- The International Professional and Scientific Conference of the Jordan Association of Certified Public Accountants () concluded on Tuesday with a call to integrate artificial intelligence and AI risk management into accounting education curricula and continuing professional development programs.
Held under the theme "The Future of Accounting and Auditing in the Arab World," the conference recommended establishing a national advisory council bringing together government regulatory bodies, JACPA, academics, and practitioners to participate actively in drafting industry-related legislation prior to enactment.
Participants also urged conducting regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for proposed legislation and amendments affecting the profession and business environment to gauge compliance costs on enterprises.
During the first session, titled "Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity," the conference emphasized that technology and AI serve as auxiliary tools that cannot replace professional judgment and human expertise, stressing that auditors using AI tools must be capable of explaining how conclusions are reached.
The conference explored cooperation with the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) to leverage its technical support and advisory services in cyber governance, aiming to enhance the readiness of audit firms and association members. It also called for adopting a "security by design" principle in financial and accounting systems built on comprehensive risk management covering operational, technical, security, and governance aspects.
In the second session, "Governance and Compliance," the conference recommended establishing policies to raise awareness among boards of directors, executive management, shareholders, and stakeholders regarding AI risks and opportunities. It urged subjecting AI systems to integrated governance, ensuring transparency, data quality, explainability, and human intervention, while maintaining human oversight for high-risk decisions.
In the third session, "Legislation and Laws," participants advocated empowering JACPA as a local professional body to issue application guidelines and interpretations for international standards suited to the local business environment. The conference also called for evaluating transfer pricing documentation requirements for domestic intercompany transactions under the same tax rate and establishing a clear regulatory framework to protect client data confidentiality and auditor working papers.
Addressing "The Reality of the Profession in the Arab World" in the fourth session, recommendations focused on promoting mutual recognition of professional certificates and licenses among Arab accounting bodies, harmonizing professional exams, and coordinating with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Arab Society of Certified Public Accountants (IASCA) to expedite official Arabic translations of auditing standards.
JACPA proposed issuing a guidebook on using AI tools in audit offices, outlining permissible client data inputs and documentation procedures. It also suggested incorporating AI usage disclosures in corporate governance reports for public shareholding companies in coordination with the Securities Deposition Center and Income and Sales Tax Department.
//Petra// AF
