Accountants have been urged to embrace emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and big data analytics ethically and sustainably, to strengthen decision-making and improve operational efficiency.
Global President of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Melanie Proffitt, said AI is rapidly reshaping the accounting profession by freeing accountants from repetitive, routine tasks and enabling them to take on roles of greater strategic value.
The Association has integrated AI into its curriculum to enhance understanding of the associated risks, including issues of bias.
“This explosion in digital capabilities and super-fast communications, and in how people work, can sound incredibly daunting. But at the same time, it is also enormously exciting. It opens up vast new areas of opportunity, more chances, more options, and more fascinating paths to pursue in our careers and in our lives,” said Profit.
She spoke in Mombasa during the 5th Africa Members Convention 2025, which brought together over 1,000 professional accountants from across the continent under the theme “Leading an evolved profession for a changed world.”
Proffitt emphasized that technology promotes fairness in employment, allowing people to connect to global networks, gain education, build professional relationships and run businesses beyond geographical constraints.
She noted that digital technology and super-fast communications are annihilating national boundaries and making time zones and even oceans irrelevant, adding that ambitious youngsters don’t need thousands of dollars and access to lecture halls to gain a higher education.
“Anyone with a phone or a tablet and an internet connection can carry a university in a laptop bag, or a business on a mobile phone. Location becomes irrelevant, and customers and employers increasingly don’t care whether you come from New Delhi, New York or Nairobi,” stated the President.
“They hire the skills and the qualities and buy the services they need, wherever they can find them. Technology has levelled the playing field and made business much more meritocratic. It means that young African professionals with vision, talent and ambition can thrive in a super-connected world.”
She noted that Africa is poised for change and the continent can emerge as a new economic super-power to rival the mighty blocs and nations that dominate global trade right now because of African unity being championed by the African Union.
“We are closely aligned with the AU Agenda 2063, particularly on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement. ACCA’s regional priorities in Africa are in line with the African Union’s strategy of enabling sustainable economic development,” she stated.
In the wake of graft cases that involve accountants, the ACCA President noted that qualified accountants are bound by a code of ethics, and stressed that integrity underpins ACCA membership qualification.
“Working with local accountancy bodies and government institutions, and key stakeholders in the market, is pivotal. Creating capacity and building the profession collectively and collaboratively will help address those ethical behaviours.”
ACCA Regional Head of Policy and Insights, Evelyn Isioye, noted that as AI evolves, it brings mixed feelings of both risks and opportunities.
“At ACCA, we strongly believe that AI positions professional accountants to actually evolve the profession, because it positions them in a way that they are best placed to be custodians of trust,” said Isioye.
She explained that in a world where AI presents risks of bias and errors, the human element and the ethical competency of professionals allow them to check the errors to enhance controls and systems in a way that stakeholders can trust the information that AI helps manage.
Isioye added that the human element also ensures that stakeholders can trust the reports that come out of the multitude of data that AI helps businesses to draw.
“We believe AI provides a world of opportunities and that professionals are best placed to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically to ensure that organisations can maximise the value of AI without the risks associated with it.”
Kenya Airways CEO, Allan Kilavuka underscored the modern accountant’s role in safeguarding digital credibility, upholding ethics and ensuring accurate financial records.
He challenged accountants to protect “digital integrity” and promote unity, air, land and sea connectivity across Africa to help address the continent’s challenges.
By Sadik Hassan
