Ethics & Compliance are at the heart of any modern organization and have gained ever more importance in the past years as companies become more aware of their responsibilities towards society and the environment. Managing such diverse tasks as educating employees, assessing risks and performing background checks on new business contacts can be laborious. This research aimed to find out if the use of artificial intelligence can support compliance professionals in their everyday lives.

This study employs mixed-methods research to produce an overview of the current status within the ethics and compliance community in Switzerland, conducting interviews with professionals across various industries. In addition, a survey within the client's organization revealed whether the employees feel ready and confident about using artificial intelligence in an ethics and compliance context. Supported by a solid and thorough literature review, and concluded with a weighted decision matrix, assessing openly available software products.

While the study shows great interest in artificial intelligence and its potential among compliance professionals and employees alike, it also shows hesitance towards employing it in such a sensitive context/topic. This suggests that any major move towards the use of AI in this field of business must be considered in depth, and employees must be educated in the use of the technology in general, and in this specific context. The study recommended readily available products which would be suitable for use within the organization for three compliance processes: due diligence, ethics and compliance training, and compliance risk management.