The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA Pakistan) is set to host an online webinar titled “AI Is Changing Business: Are Audit Professionals Ready & What’s Next?” on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time. The session will examine how artificial intelligence is changing the way organizations operate, make decisions and create value, particularly as AI becomes increasingly embedded in finance, operations and other business processes. According to the webinar overview, the growing use of AI is also creating new risks, control gaps and governance challenges that organizations need to address. The session will focus on the implications of these developments for internal audit and finance professionals, with discussions around AI governance, risk management and internal controls. Muhammad Shoaib, FCMA, ACCA, CIA, APFA, CPRM and Certified Director, who serves as Chairman of the Audit, Assurance and Risk Advisory Board at ICMA, will moderate the webinar. The event will be conducted online through Zoom and carries two hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit.
The webinar is designed to help auditors and finance professionals understand the changes AI is bringing to business processes and identify risks that may not be adequately covered by existing audit approaches. ICMA Pakistan’s learning objectives include understanding how AI is changing business processes, identifying emerging AI-related risks and control gaps, and recognizing what the program describes as new “AI blind spots.” Participants will also examine whether existing governance and internal control frameworks are prepared for AI adoption and consider how the role of auditors and finance professionals may change as organizations become more dependent on AI-driven systems. The session will additionally explore the development of a practical roadmap for AI readiness. This focus reflects the growing importance of governance and oversight as organizations adopt AI tools across different functions. Internal audit teams may increasingly be required to assess how AI systems are governed, how risks are identified and monitored, and whether appropriate controls exist around the use of automated systems and AI-generated outputs.
Muhammad Omair Arfeen, CIA, CISA, CPA, CBA, CFE, SCI and PhD Candidate, will serve as the speaker for the session. According to ICMA Pakistan’s webinar material, Arfeen has around two decades of experience in internal audit and has led assurance, risk, compliance, fraud, technology and cybersecurity audit assignments across multiple industries. His experience includes work involving retail, manufacturing, transportation, financial services and diversified business groups. He is also a committee and board member of the Global Content Advisory Board of IIA Qatar and contributes to the internal audit community through professional content, guidance materials and knowledge-sharing initiatives. His background across audit, technology, cybersecurity and risk management is relevant to the webinar’s focus on the challenges created by AI adoption. The session is expected to connect these areas by examining how finance and audit professionals can adapt their approach when organizations introduce AI into operational and decision-making processes. Rather than focusing solely on the technical capabilities of AI, the program is structured around its business, governance, control and assurance implications.
The October 17 webinar will provide participants with two hours of CPD learning through an online Zoom session, with registration available through the link provided by ICMA Pakistan. The program carries no financial investment for participants, with the institute describing the requirement as simply the investment of their time. Its focus on AI readiness comes as organizations increasingly consider artificial intelligence for activities involving analysis, automation, financial processes, customer services and operational decision-making. For internal auditors and finance professionals, this development creates a need to understand both the opportunities associated with AI and the risks that can arise from its implementation. Governance frameworks, internal controls and risk-management processes may need to account for issues such as data quality, access, oversight and accountability when AI systems are introduced into business operations. Through the webinar, ICMA Pakistan aims to provide professionals with practical insights into these emerging issues and help them consider how audit and finance functions can prepare for an increasingly AI-driven business environment.
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