KPMG International has unveiled a significant advancement in its AI-driven service delivery with the launch of KPMG Workbench, an open and interoperable artificial intelligence platform designed to revolutionise how it supports clients and staff across its global operations. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and powered by Microsoft Azure AI Foundry services, KPMG Workbench reflects the firm’s commitment to embedding advanced AI technologies within its core service areas, including tax, audit, and advisory functions.
At the heart of KPMG Workbench is a network of 50 AI assistants and chatbots capable of communicating with each other across diverse industry sectors, with nearly a thousand more in development. These AI agents operate as digital colleagues alongside KPMG professionals, integrating with various large language models (LLMs) to accelerate service delivery while striving to uphold standards of quality, trust, and compliance. The platform’s design ensures interoperability with technologies from other partners such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday, allowing clients the flexibility to choose AI agents best suited to their specific needs.
A cornerstone of KPMG Workbench is its robust data sovereignty and governance capabilities, allowing clients to control how their data is stored, processed, and managed in compliance with both local and international regulations. This emphasis on responsible AI use is reinforced by KPMG’s pioneering achievement as the first organisation globally to attain the ISO 42001 certification for AI Management Systems. Each tool and agent within the platform carries a “Trusted AI stamp,” signifying adherence to the company’s Trusted AI Framework, which rests on ten pillars to ensure ethical and secure AI deployment.
David Rowlands, Global Head of AI at KPMG International, highlighted the importance of control and flexibility for clients in an increasingly complex AI landscape: “Clients tell us that their ability to orchestrate and control their agents in a secure way is becoming their number one concern. They also want a multi-model platform rather than being locked into one provider. With KPMG Workbench, we’re combining advanced AI agents with the insight, judgment and deep expertise of our people to deliver smarter solutions for clients, faster and with full confidence in their security and compliance.”
Practically, KPMG Workbench aims to streamline intricate tasks such as client onboarding and regulatory reporting by automating multi-step processes and facilitating seamless coordination among specialised AI agents. Early adoption examples span diverse sectors, including telecommunications firms enhancing compliance policies, global banks utilising the platform for secure customer identity verification and fraud prevention, and international retailers deploying digital workforces to boost back-office efficiency.
This platform launch forms a critical element of KPMG’s multi-billion-dollar investment in AI and cloud technologies, intensifying its strategic partnership with Microsoft. This alliance was publicly expanded in mid-2023 to include a $2 billion commitment over five years directed at enhancing KPMG’s cloud and AI capabilities. Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service underpins much of this collaboration, enabling KPMG’s global workforce of over 265,000 employees to deliver faster, more insightful client services. Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, described KPMG Workbench as “a transformative step in AI-driven collaboration,” framing it as an embodiment of the future vision for AI-enabled professional services.
Beyond service automation, the integration of KPMG Workbench is also evident in flagship solutions such as KPMG Clara, the firm’s smart audit platform. Using AI and data analytics integrated with Azure Cognitive Services, KPMG Clara is designed to enhance audit quality, enabling professionals to generate more relevant insights while complying with evolving regulatory requirements. The platform also integrates with Microsoft Teams to streamline collaboration across audit projects.
The launch of KPMG Workbench resonates with the organisation’s broader commitment to responsible AI adoption, highlighted recently by KPMG Australia’s trailblazing certification to ISO/IEC 42001 standards for AI management. This reinforces KPMG’s role as a leader in ethical AI governance, addressing challenges such as non-transparent decision-making and continuous learning within AI systems.
Carl Carande, KPMG’s Global Head of Advisory, described the launch as “a pivotal milestone in our AI commitment to transforming client delivery and enhancing ways of working across the global organisation.” He emphasised the strategic nature of the investment, made in close collaboration with Microsoft, to create a leading technology ecosystem capable of adapting to the rapidly evolving demands of clients.
As KPMG rolls out private versions of Workbench to clients, the platform is poised to become a central hub for AI-driven transformation in professional services. By combining advanced agent-based AI technology with rigorous governance frameworks and strategic partnerships, KPMG aims to deliver smarter, more efficient, and ethically managed services that can adapt to a dynamic business environment while maintaining trust and compliance at their core.
Source: Noah Wire Services
