Middlesex University Dubai
Dubai Knowledge Park - Blocks 15, 16, 17 & 19
P.O. Box 500697, Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam
Andhra Bank School of Business Building
Andhra University Campus
Visakhapatnam – 530 003, INDIA.
Amity School of Business
Sector - 125, Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida)
Uttar Pradesh, INDIA.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made inroads into nearly all industries, from governance to finance and education to healthcare and retail. As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) encourages digitalisation as a way of life for individuals and businesses to optimise efficiency, the consequences need to be carefully analysed. Concerning the application of AI to the accounting and auditing domains in the UAE, this study intends to analyse the perspectives of auditors and accountants. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I was the exploratory phase, in which the data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire survey. The responses (qualitative data) collected from 21 accounting and auditing experts were analysed using Atlas.ti in Phase II. This research breaks through the hype and offers clear findings related to the perceptions of professionals towards the application of AI. The findings of the study present the challenges and opportunities of using AI in accounting and auditing, and the future expectations from these professionals in the era of emerging technologies such as AI in the UAE context. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by being one of the few empirical studies examining the effects of AI on accounting and auditing professionals.