The 2026 Audit Analytics and AI Conference Spring

Summary

The Audit Podcast: 2026 Audit Analytics and AI Conference Spring Host: Trent Russell
Episode Date: May 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode serves as a preview and announcement for the upcoming 2026 Audit Analytics and AI Spring Conference. Host Trent Russell highlights the significance of integrating technology—particularly analytics and AI—into audit practices, shares details about the conference schedule and speakers, and makes key announcements about future events. The episode is packed with insights for auditors seeking to modernize their methodologies through technology, achieve "quick wins," and stay on top of the latest SOX guidance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transforming Audit with Analytics and AI

• Integration of Technology: The episode underscores the transformative impact of AI and analytic platforms in audit, emphasizing the move away from manual spreadsheets and traditional approaches.
  • “AI has changed the pace of business and Optro can help you keep up.” — [00:00]
• Ready-to-Use Solutions: Products like Supervisor provide pre-built routines that automate anomaly detection and monitoring across various risk areas with little to no setup.
  • “Imagine having no audit analytics today and then tomorrow you plug in your ERPs and hundreds of routines are already running across…all your key risk areas. No data preparation, no long IT requests, no development, no months of setup...” — [00:43]

2. Solving Real Audit Problems with AI

• Beyond Exception Listings: The host highlights the evolution from merely identifying exceptions to delivering actionable, business-ready recommendations powered by embedded AI.
  • “So instead of walking to a meeting with a spreadsheet of 200 exceptions, your team shows up with ‘Here are the three trends causing most of them, and here’s what to do next.‘” — [01:54]
• Real-World Adoption: Well-known companies (Ikea, Michelin, Borg Warner, KPMG) are cited as successful implementers, validating the value proposition of AI in audit.

3. Conference Preview and Speaker Lineup

• Top-Rated Speakers: The conference will feature the top three speakers from past five years based on attendee feedback and practical, hands-on demonstrations.
  • “We picked the top three based on best feedback that we’ve gotten from attendees as well as who was just like pulled up their screen and just shown how to do this stuff, this AI and this analytics stuff.” — [02:07]
• Diverse Perspectives: Additional speakers with intriguing topics are included to ensure a broad range of current, impactful audit content.

4. Flexibility and On-Demand Access

• Attendance Options: Understanding the scheduling challenges, the conference offers both live and recorded access to sessions.
  • “You can also attend via the recordings.” — [02:26]
• Fall Conference Announcement: Exclusive announcement of the Fall 2026 Conference, with registration now open for October 21-22.
  • “This is the first time we’ve announced this. It’s gonna be October 21st and 22nd this year…Go ahead and get registered if you would like to.” — [02:41]

5. Community and Podcast Updates

• Inclusivity: The conference and podcast deliberately incorporate voices from every level of the audit team—from interns to CAEs and audit committee members—reflecting a commitment to diversity of opinion and practical relevance.
• Upcoming Episodes: Teaser for next week’s guest host and special guest, promising new perspectives for listeners.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “AI has changed the pace of business and Optro can help you keep up.” — [00:00]
  (On the imperative for auditors to adopt AI to stay relevant.)

• “Imagine having no audit analytics today and then tomorrow you plug in your ERPs and hundreds of routines are already running across…all your key risk areas.” — [00:43]
  (Highlighting the ease of adopting modern analytics solutions.)

• “So instead of walking to a meeting with a spreadsheet of 200 exceptions, your team shows up with ‘Here are the three trends causing most of them, and here’s what to do next.’” — [01:54]
  (Emphasizing the shift from data reporting to actionable insights.)

• “We picked the top three [speakers] based on best feedback that we’ve gotten from attendees as well as who was just like pulled up their screen and just shown how to do this stuff, this AI and this analytics stuff.” — [02:07]
  (Underscoring the value of practical, hands-on knowledge sharing.)

• “This is the first time we’ve announced this. It’s gonna be October 21st and 22nd this year.” — [02:41]
  (Revealing the new Fall conference dates.)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00 — Introduction, sponsor message (Optro), the role of AI in accelerating audit processes
• 00:43 — Sponsor message (Supervisor), audit analytics automation and benefits
• 02:07 — Conference details: speakers, schedule, and flexible participation
• 02:41 — Announcement of the Fall conference and registration
• 03:10 — Preview of next week’s guest host episode

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Episode Tone and Style

Trent Russell’s style is conversational and enthusiastic, focusing on actionable, practical strategies for audit professionals. The episode is inclusive—highlighting the value of all voices in the audit profession—and forward-looking, inviting listeners to embrace innovation and community engagement.

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For auditors considering digital transformation, and those interested in cutting-edge conference content, this episode offers a succinct yet comprehensive overview of where audit analytics and AI are heading, and how you can engage with the leaders shaping that future.

Transcript

[A]

This episode is sponsored by Optro. AI has changed the pace of business and Optro can help you keep up. For over a decade, Optro has helped teams modernize their audit programs with their AI powered platforms. Teams can say goodbye to spreadsheets, speed and start moving at the speed of business. Are you ready to change the pace? Join Optro at their flagship event CRX26 where experts will dive deep into how you can transform risk and opportunity at your organization. Use code AUDIT200 that's a U D I T200 to get 200 off a full conference pass, visit Optro AICRX to register. This episode is sponsored by Supervisor.

[B]

If you haven't heard of them, imagine having no audit analytics today and then

[A]

tomorrow you plug in your ERPs and

[B]

hundreds of routines are already running across P2P Treasury, TNE User Activity, inventory all your key risk areas. No data preparation, no long IT requests, no development, no months of setup. That's Supervisor, a ready to use audit analytics platform with 350 plus pre built routines that connect to your ERPs and continuously monitor 100% of your transactions. Their analytics are both rule based and AI based, so your team can detect multiple types of anomalies from duplicate invoices to segregation of duties violations, to suspicious vendor bank changes across every entity and geography. But finding things is only half the job. You run the analytics, you surface hundreds of exceptions and then what? You send a list to the business and hope they cooperate? Supervisor built something to change that. They've embedded AI directly into every routine. It reads all your findings, detects the common patterns and root causes, and gives you business ready recommendations. So instead of walking to a meeting with a spreadsheet of 200 exceptions, your

[A]

team shows up with here are the

[B]

three trends causing most of them and

[A]

here's what to do next.

[B]

You don't have to necessarily take my word for it though. Organizations like ikea, Michelin, Borg Warner, KPMG and hundreds of others already trust Supervisor

[A]

to do exactly that.

[B]

Hey everybody, I just want to take a quick minute and let you know that the audit analytics and AI spring conference is tomorrow May 20, starts at 9am Super Central. That's Chicago time, ends at 4pm Central. Also Chicago time. And this year we went back and looked at like five years worth of speakers that we've had and we picked the top three based on best feedback that we've gotten from attendees as well as who was just like pulled up their screen and just shown how to do this stuff, this AI and this analytics stuff. So we have Those three. And then we also have three other folks that I think are super interesting and have really, really good topics for this year. So if you're not familiar, you can search for the auditanalytics conference.com or you can go to the Show Notes where we have a link in there. Take a look at the speakers, the schedule, see if it works for you. Fully understand that the conference is less than 24 hours away and you likely don't have the 6 hours blocked off to attend live. So you can also attend via the recordings. If you want to check those out, please do so. Also, if you are interested but you are unable to attend live for the spring conference, we also have one in the fall. So this is the first time we've announced this. It's gonna be October 21st and 22nd this year. We went ahead and opened the registration link. So if anyone's interested in that, you should be able to go to the website. It's a banner at the top. Click on that. Go ahead and get registered if you would like to. All right, that's it for today. Next week we have a special episode where you don't have to listen to me because we have a guest host next week with a really cool guest. So hope to see you at the conference tomorrow. If not, maybe in October. If not. There's like six months in between now and then, so hope to see you at some point between now and then.