How Two Students Taught 52 Auditors to Build AI Agents

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Alex Rusate talks with Ivan Diaz and Mohamed Maiga, two Utah Valley University students whose curiosity led them to build practical AI tools. They explain how AI agents go beyond chatbots to automate repetitive audit work, why understanding the intended output is essential for validating AI-generated results, and how organizations can begin adopting AI without sacrificing security or human judgment. HOST: Alex Rusate, CIA, CISA, CPA, AAIA, CERP, CRMA, CCSA Senior Vice President and Director of Internal Audit, Arrow Financial GUESTS: Ivan Diaz Accounting Student, Utah Valley University Mohamed Maiga Cybersecurity Graduate, Utah Valley University KEY POINTS: Introduction: Students Teaching Auditors About AI Agents [00:00:00–00:00:35] Ivan's Introduction to the Internal Audit Conference [00:00:36–00:01:33] Finding an Audit Process to Automate [00:01:34–00:02:44] Building an AI Agent Without Technical Experience [00:02:45–00:04:13] Improving Results Through Iteration and Multiple AI Tools [00:04:14–00:05:47] The Difference Between Chatbots and AI Agents [00:05:48–00:07:05] Troubleshooting an Agent and Selecting the Right Model [00:07:06–00:08:20] Validating AI-Generated Audit Work [00:08:21–00:10:24] Designing Effective Instructions and Identifying Red Flags [00:10:25–00:11:43] Protecting Confidential Information When Using AI [00:11:44–00:13:12] Using Feedback to Strengthen an AI Agent [00:13:13–00:14:54] Mohamed's Introduction to AI Agents [00:14:55–00:16:38] Using an AI Agent to Navigate Purchasing Policies [00:16:39–00:18:26] Automating Repetitive Work While Preserving Human Judgment [00:18:27–00:19:16] Building an AI Agent for Cybersecurity Exam Preparation [00:19:17–00:20:43] Reducing Hallucination Risk Through Sources and Validation [00:20:44–00:22:26] Advice for Internal Audit Leaders Adopting AI [00:22:27–00:24:24] Starting Small and Applying AI with Purpose [00:24:25–00:25:17] Closing [00:25:18–00:25:29] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: The NextGen Audit Mentor — Internal Auditor magazine (August Issue) IIA Membership Global Internal Audit Standards Artificial Intelligence Auditing Framework Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Sanjay Vadlamani talks with Yvette Adams about how insider threats extend beyond malicious employees. They discuss negligent, malicious, and compromised insiders, along with the ways AI, remote work, cloud applications, and expanding access have increased organizational risk. The conversation also covers behavior monitoring, employee privacy, access management, offboarding, multidisciplinary risk teams, and the importance of connecting information across organizational silos before a threat becomes an incident. HOST: Sanjay Vadlamani, CIA, CISA, CRISC Senior Manager, Internal Audit, PayJoy GUEST: Yvette Adams, CIA, CRMA Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Zions Bancorporation KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00–00:00:38] The Three Types of Insider Threats [00:00:39–00:03:19] How AI, Remote Work, and Cloud Applications Increase Risk [00:03:20–00:06:52] IIA Membership [00:06:53–00:07:38] Balancing Employee Monitoring, Privacy, and Trust [00:07:39–00:11:13] Indicators of Insider Risk [00:11:14–00:15:16] The FinWise Bank Incident and Offboarding Risk [00:15:17–00:18:48] Connecting Information Across Organizational Silos [00:18:49–00:22:47] Five Elements of a Mature Insider Risk Program [00:22:48–00:26:40] Lessons From the Tesla Insider Threat Case [00:26:41–00:28:56] Understanding the Insider Threat Life Cycle [00:28:57–00:30:07] Employee Self-Reporting and Where Organizations Should Start [00:30:08–00:33:40] Closing [00:33:41–00:33:51] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Global Practice Guide: Auditing Insider Threat Programs Insider Threat Leading Practices Insider Threat Assessment Using NIST Cybersecurity Framework All Things Internal Audit Tech: Identity & Access Management Understanding Insider Threats IIA Membership   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit  In this episode, we hand the mic to seven students from across the US and Canada who are on their way into the internal audit profession, and ask them how they got here, what surprised them, we what they're still figuring out. They talk about what classrooms teach well, what only experience can provide, and why the work carries more weight than they expected.   HOST: Catie Brown Associate Manager & Producer, Content Development, The IIA  GUESTS: Priya Bhatt— Texas A&M University Graduate Omar Ontiveros — Cal State Long Beach Graduate Olivia Gallagher — Accounting Student, Winthrop University Ryan Lam — Accounting Student, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Moises Gutierrez — Accounting Student, Valdosta State University Dhvani Shah — Accounting Student, DePaul University Saurabh Kshatri — Master's Graduate, DePaul University KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00–01:16] How Students Discovered Internal Audit [01:17–04:22] When the Profession Became Real [04:23–07:58] Bringing Creativity and Curiosity to Internal Audit [07:59–11:19] Bridging the Gap Between the Classroom and Practice [11:20–14:58] Ethics and the Human Impact of Audit Findings [14:59–16:56] Building Confidence, Credibility, and Relationships [16:57–19:02] What Students Want to See Through Job Shadowing [19:03–22:09] The Importance of Mentorship [22:10–23:34] Advice for Students Entering the Profession [23:35–25:04] Advice for Today's Internal Auditors [25:05–25:39] Final Thoughts [25:40–26:48] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Discover Internal Audit What is Internal Audit? IIA Student Membership Internal Audit Foundation Internal Audit Academic Alliance Local Chapters and Institutes Career Center   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer  

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this companion episode to Internal Auditor magazine's "Human Capital Risk in an AI World" article, Tom Diamante talks with Manuel London and Richard Chan about how AI can help organizations identify behavioral, cultural, operational, and decision-making risks earlier, while also creating concerns around bias, surveillance, employee trust, and misuse. The conversation also explores internal audit's role in auditing AI, supporting responsible implementation, and helping organizations balance risk mitigation with innovation. HOST: Tom Diamante, Ph.D. President and Organizational Psychologist, Diamante Metrics LLC GUESTS: Manuel London, Ph.D. Professor of Management, Stony Brook University   Richard Chan, Ph.D. Professor, Stony Brook University KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00-00:00:42] Defining Human Capital Risk and AI's Role [00:00:43-00:04:13] Bias, Mistrust, and Employee Adoption [00:04:14-00:07:26] AI Monitoring and Surveillance Concerns [00:07:27-00:10:27] Internal Audit's Role in AI Governance [00:10:28-00:14:10] Responsible Deployment, Transparency, and Trust [00:14:11-00:17:32] AI as a Tool for Positive Risk and Innovation [00:17:33-00:19:24] Balancing Innovation With AI Guardrails [00:19:25-00:22:23] AI's Value to Boards and Governance [00:22:24-00:25:56] Building a Healthy AI Risk Culture [00:25:57-00:27:08] Human Capital Risk, HR, and Internal Audit [00:27:09-00:29:15] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Human Capital Risk in an AI World — Internal Auditor magazine (August Issue) Global Internal Audit Standards Update: Human Capital at Risk Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, Charles King sits down with Shane Negangard to look at enterprise risk management not as a compliance exercise, but as one of the most powerful tools an internal audit leader can have -- if it's built and run the right way. They break down how to establish an ERM program from the ground up, secure executive buy-in, and use ERM as a flywheel for deeper relationships across the organization. HOST: Charles King, CIA, CCSA AI and Internal Audit Leader, KPMG  GUEST: Shane Negangard, CIA, CRMA Head of Internal Audit, Workiva     KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00:00-00:01:25] Technology, AI, and Evolving Internal Audit [00:01:26-00:03:46] Why ERM Is a "Secret Weapon" [00:03:47-00:05:46] Building Executive Buy-In for ERM [00:05:47-00:07:05] Making ERM More Than a Compliance Exercise [00:07:06-00:10:08] Risk Ownership, Trust, and Accountability [00:10:09-00:13:29] Turning Risk Discussions Into Action [00:13:30-00:15:47] Using AI to Strengthen ERM [00:15:48-00:18:03] Scenario Planning and ERM Maturity [00:18:04-00:19:25] Using ERM to Develop Internal Audit Teams [00:19:26-00:21:10] Expanding Risk Ownership Across the Organization [00:21:11-00:23:12] Internal Audit's Role as an ERM Facilitator [00:23:13-00:25:45] Final Thoughts [00:25:46-00:25:56] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Statements of Position Risk in Focus Global Best Practices: Transforming Audit Through AI   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this companion episode to Internal Auditor magazine's "The NextGen Audit Mentor," Marko Horvat sits down with Sarah Kuhn to explore how she built an AI-powered "audit mentor" to support auditor onboarding, training, and professional development. Kuhn shares how a simple idea to scale knowledge sharing evolved into an agentic AI tool that helps auditors learn, ask better questions, and navigate their careers. The conversation covers practical lessons for implementing AI, managing guardrails, fostering adoption, and ensuring AI enhances rather than replaces auditor judgment. HOST: Marko Horvat, CPA, Chief Financial Officer ,ELB Learning GUEST: Sarah Kuhn, CIA, CRMA, CCSA Principal Audit Consultant KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00–00:01:30] Understanding Agentic AI and Identifying the Problem [00:01:31–00:04:27] Building and Testing the Audit Mentor [00:04:28–00:08:50] IIA Membership [00:08:51–00:09:27] Driving Adoption and Building Trust [00:09:28–00:13:02] Why the Tool Is a Mentor, Not an Answer Bot [00:13:03–00:17:14] Career Development, Coaching, and Quality Review [00:17:15–00:21:47] Preserving Auditor Judgment and Preventing Overreliance [00:21:48–00:25:42] Lessons Learned: Keeping AI Agents Focused [00:25:43–00:28:47] The Future of Agentic AI in Internal Audit [00:28:48–00:31:17] Final Thoughts [00:31:18–00:32:20] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: The NextGen Audit Mentor — Internal Auditor magazine (August Issue) IIA Membership Global Internal Audit Standards New Internal Auditing Competency Framework Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

All Things Internal Audit: Fraud Podcast "Prescription for Fraud" Listen to The IIA's Fraud Podcast, brought to you by All Things Internal Audit. The Fraud Podcast provides fictionalized accounts of real-world frauds featured in Internal Auditor magazine's Fraud department.  In this episode, a struggling pharmacy gets an offer that sounds like a lifeline. But behind the paperwork sits a fake employee, a one-letter code, and a scheme that billed federal insurance programs nearly $11 million. Who finally pulled the thread? Access the full article here. Read the August issue here. Interested in more fraud-related topics? Earn CPEs by registering for The IIA's Fraud Analytics for Internal Auditors Certificate, available online and in-person. Chapters: Introduction [00:00-00:00:18] Part 1: The Pitch [00:00:19-00:02:03] Part 2: The Employee Who Wasn't [00:02:04-00:04:17] Part 3: The Lawsuit That Pulled the Thread [00:04:18-00:06:08] Fraud Red Flags and Lessons Learned [00:06:09-00:06:46] Closing and Fraud Resources [00:06:47-00:07:18] Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple PodcastsSpotify Youtube LibsynDeezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, we're moving past the hype and getting into how internal audit functions are using GenAI now -- not in theory, not in three years, but today. Doris Myles sits down with Neil White to talk through where the biggest efficiency gains are happening, how to pick the right use cases when everything feels urgent, and why most functions aren't failing at GenAI: They're just stuck. White shares the framework he uses to prioritize AI investments, why building a prompt library is the most underrated action any function can take immediately, and what he believes internal audit will look like in 10 years. HOST: Doris Myles, CIA, CPADirector of Internal Audit, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital GUEST: Neil White Audit and Assurance Principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00:00-00:00:43] Where GenAI Creates the Biggest Lift [00:00:43-00:02:34] From Automation to Agentic Reporting [00:02:34-00:04:31] Current Adoption and Internal Audit's Dual Role [00:04:31-00:06:51] Prioritizing Use Cases and Building a Prompt Library [00:06:51-00:10:58] Why GenAI Initiatives Stall [00:10:58-00:14:21] Gaining Enterprise and Leadership Alignment [00:14:21-00:16:38] Building Trust and Preserving Professional Skepticism [00:16:38-00:18:46] Explainability, Traceability, and Reliable Outputs [00:18:46-00:20:54] Balancing Speed, Human Review, and Model Validation [00:20:54-00:23:45] Scaling GenAI Across the Audit Function [00:23:45-00:25:41] First Steps for Internal Audit Leaders [00:25:41-00:27:35] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Global Internal Audit Standards Vision 2035 Cybersecurity Topical Requirement Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence All Things Internal Audit Tech: Leadership Lessons from Scaling AI-Driven Companies   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit  In this companion episode to the Global Best Practices' Internal Audit Upskilling for Critical AI Capabilities, Bryant Richards talks with Nancy Hom about how internal audit teams can build AI skills with intention, confidence, and discipline. Hom shares how her department has moved from broad AI awareness to practical, immersive learning that helps auditors both use AI in their work and audit it effectively. The conversation covers mindset, skill set, and tool set, along with real-world use cases, adoption challenges, human oversight, and why AI fluency may become a key differentiator for the future auditor     HOST: Bryant Richards, CIA, CRMA, CMA, PhD Partner, Ucran & Company, LLC  Associate Professor, Nichols College GUEST: Nancy Hom, CISA Vice President, Data, Analytics and AI, MetLife Global Audit   KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00-00:00:42] From AI Awareness to Immersive Learning [00:00:43-00:02:29] Mindset, Skill Set, and Tool Set [00:02:30-00:04:43] Building and Measuring an AI Learning Program [00:04:44-00:07:41] Defining Appropriate Tasks and Maintaining Human Oversight [00:07:42-00:09:38] Choosing AI Tools and Scaling the Audit Workflow [00:09:39-00:13:15] Communication, Delegation, and Validation [00:13:16-00:16:20] Using an AI Chatbot to Improve Issue Writing [00:16:21-00:19:26] Keeping Pace With Changing Tools and Learning Needs [00:19:27-00:22:20] Driving AI Adoption Across the Department [00:22:21-00:24:34] Maintaining Skepticism, Judgment, and Accountability [00:24:35-00:28:23] Expanding Internal Audit's Advisory Role [00:28:24-00:31:33] Hiring and Developing AI-Fluent Auditors [00:31:34-00:33:34] Final Thoughts [00:33:35-00:34:07]   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more.   IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Global Best Practices: Internal Audit Upskilling for Critical AI Capabilities Global Internal Audit Standards Vison 2035 Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit In this episode, we're getting into the daily realities of modern internal auditing — the messy, practical, and sometimes uncomfortable challenges that don't always make it onto conference agendas. Jas Gill sits down with Asim Fareeduddin to talk through what's shaping internal audit. Fareeduddin shares why business acumen is the hardest skill to hire for, how to think about AI beyond the basics, and why understanding how your company makes, and could lose, money is the foundation of every valuable audit. HOST: Jasdeep Gill, CIA, CISA, CISM, CFE Senior Manager, Internal Audit and Assurance, RELX  GUEST: Asim Fareeduddin, CISA, CPA, CISM, CIPP, CISSP Head of Internal Audit and Assurance, RELX KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00:02-00:00:50] Geopolitical Instability and Flexible Audit Planning [00:00:50-00:02:43] Cyber Risk, Upskilling, and Second-Line Collaboration [00:02:43-00:05:31] Auditing Culture and Behavior [00:05:31-00:07:05] Measuring Internal Audit Impact [00:07:05-00:10:04] Business Acumen and the Future Audit Talent Profile [00:10:04-00:12:36] Upskilling Through AI, Training, and Practical Exposure [00:12:36-00:14:45] Competing for Top Talent [00:14:45-00:17:29] Skills for the Modern Internal Auditor [00:17:29-00:21:31] Building Professional Courage and Trust [00:21:31-00:24:50] Commercial Curiosity and Understanding Revenue Risk [00:24:50-00:27:44] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Global Internal Audit Standards Vision 2035 Cybersecurity Topical Requirement Knowledge Center: Artificial Intelligence Communicating with the Board: Turning Audit Insights   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer