PwC has unveiled a new suite of services dubbed ´Assurance for AI´, designed to provide independent assurance and related solutions for artificial intelligence systems in the UK. This move addresses the growing client demand for transparency and trust in artificial intelligence amid its increasing adoption across business sectors, especially as organisations seek to move beyond the experimentation phase and realise investment returns.
The service arrives amid widespread concerns about the lack of tangible business value, persistent trust issues, and risks such as privacy violations and unintended behaviours—concerns exacerbated by generative models´ propensity for ´hallucinations´. PwC’s new assurance line is positioned as a distinct offering from its established advisory services around responsible artificial intelligence, risk management, and regulatory compliance. The focus is on independently verifying that artificial intelligence solutions are designed, deployed, and managed responsibly, meeting both corporate governance standards and regulatory expectations, thereby helping organisations bolster their credibility and market reputation.
Marc Bena, PwC’s UK audit chief technology officer, highlighted the critical importance of trust for scaling artificial intelligence initiatives, noting that assurance provides organisations with the confidence needed to move prototypes into production environments. The assurance services will be delivered by multidisciplinary teams combining expertise in audit, risk and internal controls, attestation, and the technical intricacies of artificial intelligence, including machine learning, natural language processing, and generative technologies. Leigh Bates, PwC´s UK and global artificial intelligence risk leader, underscored the need for robust frameworks promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability, describing the offering as enabling clients to safely navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence adoption. Major Big Four rivals—including EY, Deloitte, and KPMG—are reported to be developing similar assurance solutions as clients and regulators increasingly seek clarity over which artificial intelligence tools are trustworthy, especially for mission-critical decisions in sectors like health and finance.
