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ChatGPT, a language-learning model chatbot, has garnered considerable attention for its ability to respond to users’ questions. Using data from 14 countries and 186 institutions, we compare ChatGPT and student performance for 28,085 questions from accounting assessments and textbook test banks. As of January 2023, ChatGPT provides correct answers for 56.5 percent of questions and partially correct answers for an additional 9.4 percent of questions. When considering point values for questions, students significantly outperform ChatGPT with a 76.7 percent average on assessments compared to 47.5 percent for ChatGPT if no partial credit is awarded and 56.5 percent if partial credit is awarded. Still, ChatGPT performs better than the student average for 15.8 percent of assessments when we include partial credit. We provide evidence of how ChatGPT performs on different question types, accounting topics, class levels, open/closed assessments, and test bank questions. We also discuss implications for accounting education and research.

Accounting firms are making significant investments in audit data analytics technologies to modernize their audit services and the audit profession is believed to be on the verge of a transformation (BDO 2016; Deloitte 2016; EY 2015; Forbes Insights 2015; PwC 2015). In particular, the firms are emphasizing newer technologies such as interactive data visualization (BDO 2016; Deloitte 2016; PwC 2016) and they are increasingly expecting students to have data analytics skills (Forbes Insights 2015; PwC 2015). In this case you take on the role of Bryan, an audit senior assigned to Acme Company, who has been tasked with using interactive data visualization to gain an understanding of Acme's sales and perform an initial evaluation of two fraud risks identified during a fraud brainstorming session. Bryan has been given a data file with over 250,000 financial transactions and five master tables that he needs to analyze using interactive data visualization.

SUMMARY We survey highly experienced professionals from local accounting firms regarding the adoption of and perceived benefits from data visualization in audit practice. Although the majority of respondents have minimal experience with data visualization, local-firm partners have positive perceptions regarding the value that visualization can have on audit quality and client-related benefits. These perceptions are affected by visualization technology usage: perceived audit quality benefits increase with usage but client benefit perceptions decrease with usage. These results are consistent with competing models of technology adoption. In total, whether one labels a firm a “laggard” or a “rational nonadopter” of visualization, technology appears to be driven by whether the firm seeks to adopt technology in order to improve audit quality or to add value for their clients.

Understanding how to use data to formulate and solve business problems provides an opportunity for the accounting professional to become a forward thinking strategic partner in the organization. The challenge for accountants is to develop the skills needed to extract value from data through advanced analytics. The challenge for accounting academic departments is determining the data analytic skills and tools that are relevant to the accounting profession and how and when to incorporate those topics into an already full curriculum. This is especially true for accounting programs that have separate AACSB accreditation, given that Accreditation Standard A7 requires universities with separate accounting accreditation to include content and learning objectives associated with data analytics and information technology skills. To address the challenges, we propose three data analytic implementation methods: a focused approach, integrated approach, and a hybrid approach. We present the results of a broad exploratory survey of accounting faculty regarding which data analytic skills and tools should be taught and how, when and where these topics should be provided to accounting students. We find support for a hybrid approach; whereby accounting programs include both a stand-alone course emphasizing data analytic competencies and accounting courses with data analytic competencies ingrained. We conclude with a discussion of the support for and limitations of each of our proposed implementation methods.

Embracing the spirit of the Pathways Commission's focus of enhancing the value of practitioner/educator exchanges, the inaugural Journal of Information Systems Conference (JISC) brought together 30 academic researchers and 15 practitioners to discuss the current state and the future direction of information technology (IT) audit research and practice. Panelists, comprised of practitioners from government, public accounting, and industry, provided insight into current IT audit issues. The first panel discussed the role of IT auditors in helping organizations meet compliance requirements and ensuring that information systems add value to the organization. The second panel addressed the future of IT audit in a world of advanced analytics and emerging technologies. Although the panels addressed separate topics, common themes emerged from the discussions. Issues facing the IT audit profession as a result of the increasing volume of data available, coupled with changing technology and increasing regulatory requirements, underscored much of the discussion. Big Data, compliance, and emerging technology issues were addressed from both internal audit and external audit perspectives. This commentary provides a review and synthesis of the information presented during panel discussions at the conference and suggests potential research questions.

Spreadsheet use is pervasive in many organizations. Useful as they are, the risk exposure posed by spreadsheets can be enormous. This article discusses how companies can better understand those risks by using the company's business objectives to inventory and classify spreadsheets according to their business purpose.

The Building Ethical Leaders using an Integrated Ethics Framework (BELIEF) Program was introduced in 2006 at the Northern Illinois University College of Business. The Program was developed to support two learning objectives: (1) increase students’ awareness of ethical issues and (2) strengthen their decision-making abilities regarding these ethical issues. This article provides an overview of the development and integration of this Program. We also provide assessment data on our two learning objectives. The assessment measures improvement from 2005, before the implementation of the program, to all of the post-year measures. Thus, the BELIEF Program appears to enhance our students’ ability to recognize issues and identify appropriate decision alternatives. We hope that the description of the components of BELIEF will aid other schools as they integrate ethics into their curriculum.

As technology provides more efficient and effective methods for financial reporting, students are encouraged to gain experience using these innovations. The SEC and other global financial communities have mandated the use of XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) for certain public filings. The following interactive exercise exposes students to XBRL and provides hands-on experience in using related tools. In Task 1, students learn about the underlying mechanics of XBRL. In Task 2, students use a programmed learning approach to analyze financial information using the SEC’s free interactive financial viewer. Task 3 includes discussion questions related to XBRL and specific accounting courses (i.e., financial, audit, managerial, and systems).

This research examines escalation of commitment in team capital investment decisions and the extent to which it can be mitigated using a cognitive prime. Specifically, I examine the use of a cognitive prime as a way to mitigate escalation in two decision-making settings: (1) face-to-face team and (2) computer-mediated team. Continued investment in failing projects is costly for firms. The use of a cognitive prime to reduce escalation would provide a low cost way to mitigate escalation. In this study, participants are primed to think about sunk costs. The expectation is that priming team members to think about sunk costs will increase the accessibility of sunk cost knowledge and reduce the likelihood of continued investment in the failing project. Further, based on Persuasive Arguments Theory, it is expected that the prime will reduce escalation in teams communicating in a computer-mediated setting more than in any other decision setting. The results of the experiment support the prediction that priming will reduce escalation and did so in all decision making settings. Further, the results indicate that, in the computer-mediated setting, primed teams had the least amount of escalation behavior coupled with the largest difference in escalation compared to teams that were not primed.