KPMG partner fired for using AI to cheat on exam
A senior partner at KPMG Australia used an AI tool to cheat on a mandatory AI ethics exam in July 2025; KPMG's monitoring flagged the breach in August 2025.
The partner uploaded the test manual to an external generative AI to get answers, which broke strict company rules and highlighted growing concerns about tech misuse—especially since this was just one of 28 similar cases recently.
The firm docked an amount from the partner's future pay
KPMG's monitoring system flagged the incident in August, leading to an internal probe.
The firm docked an amount from the partner's future pay and made them retake the exam.
The partner also reported themselves to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, triggering another investigation.
In response, KPMG promised tighter controls—like blocking AI access during tests—and pledged to report AI-related cheating in its annual results to keep things transparent.