Applying Deep Learning to Audit Procedures: An Illustrative Framework

SYNOPSIS This paper aims to promote the application of deep learning to audit procedures by illustrating how the capabilities of deep learning for text understanding, speech recognition, visual recognition, and structured data analysis fit into the audit environment. Based on these four capabilities, deep learning serves two major functions in supporting audit decision making: information identification and judgment support. The paper proposes a framework for applying these two deep learning functions to a variety of audit procedures in different audit phases. An audit data warehouse of historical data can be used to construct prediction models, providing suggested actions for various audit procedures. The data warehouse will be updated and enriched with new data instances through the application of deep learning and a human auditor's corrections. Finally, the paper discusses the challenges faced by the accounting profession, regulators, and educators when it comes to applying deep learning.