KPMG in Canada launches Agentic AI Engine

KPMG in Canada is bolstering its capabilities in artificial intelligence with significant investments in new agentic AI platforms, tools and solutions to empower organizations to leverage digital agents – AI systems that can operate independently, make decisions and perform tasks with minimal or no human intervention.

“Agentic AI has the potential to revolutionize the way Canadian businesses operate. This is the most powerful form of AI in human history to date, and we believe it can help Canadian organizations boost efficiency by up to 30 per cent over the next three years by empowering higher output from teams and individuals working alongside digital agents,” says Stephanie Terrill, Canadian Managing Partner of Digital and Transformation, KPMG in Canada.

“At a time when Canada faces a productivity crisis and a trade war, digital agents can change the way we work, unlock enormous efficiency gains and improve quality, so it’s imperative for us to invest in Canadian organizations with made-in-Canada tools and solutions that will help them thrive – both at home and on the global stage,” she says.

Walter Pela, AI Client and Market Development Lead for KPMG in Canada says “Almost nine in 10 business leaders across the country have told us they see agentic AI as key to staying competitive, cutting operational costs and boosting profitability. Our investment in agentic AI gives us the insight, skills and services to help home-grown organizations accelerate and achieve those goals and help future-proof themselves in a period of economic uncertainty.”

The investments build on KPMG in Canada’s ongoing commitment to using AI to help Canadian organizations solve complex business challenges and increase productivity. A portion of the investment will go towards the establishment of KPMG’s Agentic AI Engine.

Agentic AI Engine

KPMG in Canada’s Agentic AI Engine powers the development of agentic AI solutions for Canadian organizations, engages in research and development, and enables the deployment of digital agents across KPMG platforms, services and solutions.

The Agentic AI Engine will facilitate collaboration with industry leaders, AI research institutes, and technology alliance innovators to share knowledge and insights on agentic AI advancements. The Engine will also help accelerate AI adoption among Canadian organizations and business leaders through workshops, demonstrations and collaborations, turning theoretical concepts into practical solutions.

The Agentic AI Engine has already spurred development of numerous AI agents for Canadian organizations, such as:

• An underwriting agent that can streamline claims processing and loan underwriting processes, automate document review and compliance checks, and reduce the time spent on administrative tasks by approximately 40 per cent.
• A customer service agent that can triage inquiries, personalize offers and complete customer returns, freeing up hundreds to thousands of hours for workforce professionals to focus on more complex tasks.
• A risk management agent that continuously analyzes organizational data and external sources to help risk professionals identify, assess and mitigate potential risks. The agent can generate risk assessments and provide real-time risk monitoring and alerts.
• An assessment agent that ingests data from various sources such as meeting transcripts, data models and surveys and identifies areas for improvement within an organization.
• An ESG due diligence agent that helps private equity firms analyze material ESG risks in the due diligence process when identifying investments.

The Agentic AI Engine will also help advance new agentic AI applications across other technologies such as emergent industrial digital twin environments. KPMG in Canada is accelerating the development of these technologies through additional investments in talent and intellectual property.

Powering tax with agents

Working in concert with the Agentic AI Engine, KPMG in Canada’s Ignition Tax will develop and deploy AI agents into KPMG’s One Port, the firm’s centralized, cloud-based hub for securely accessing and exchanging information, documents and client solutions related to tax compliance and advisory engagements.

Ignition Tax will also enable AI agents in KPMG International’s Digital Gateway, a cloud-based platform where clients can access KPMG’s AI agents as well as a full suite of tax and legal technologies from across the KPMG global network of member firms.

“Deploying AI agents through platforms like One Port and Digital Gateway will enhance the work of KPMG Tax and Law professionals with new digital workflows. These new workflows are underpinned by a human verification system, ensuring oversight by KPMG professionals,” says Lucy Iacovelli, Canadian Managing Partner for Tax and Legal, KPMG in Canada.

Enhancing audit quality with digital agents

To accelerate integration of AI, KPMG audit professionals in Canada have embedded digital agents into KPMG Clara, the firm’s global smart audit platform and centralized portal for exchanging information and documentation related to audits.

“Digital agents embedded into Clara will deliver deeper audit insights and enable audit professionals to more effectively respond to risks. Clara’s digital agents will also help standardize workflows, accelerate decision-making and harmonize processes to produce more consistent outcomes, which in turn, improves audit quality and enhances public trust,” says Sebastian Distefano, Canadian Managing Partner, Audit & Assurance, KPMG in Canada.

Executive training in agentic AI

The Skills Development Centre will feature new agentic AI training and upskilling modules for executives and business leaders to expand and update their knowledge of digital agents. The Skills Development Centre is a collaborative training initiative by KPMG in Canada and Microsoft Canada offering complimentary and custom-tailored programs designed to help businesses and governments understand the opportunities and challenges of AI.

To date, more than 53,000 Canadians have received professional training and upskilling in AI and cybersecurity through the Skills Development Centre.

Deploying agents with KPMG Kleo

KPMG in Canada’s agentic AI investment also expands the firm’s internal capabilities with enhancements to its systems, workflows and workforce. By bringing agentic AI functionality into Kleo, the firm’s proprietary generative AI platform, the firm’s professionals can develop their own AI agents to complete actions and tasks more efficiently – enabling more innovation, strategic execution and high-quality solutions for Canadian organizations.

“Our expertise in building AI agents for clients starts with our own journey within KPMG. By building, testing and deploying agentic AI innovations internally as ‘Client Zero’ first, we can deliver solutions to Canadian organizations that are grounded in experience, trust, security and quality,” says Ms. Terrill.