Proposed changes to U.S. corporate reporting rules and the expanding use of artificial intelligence are intensifying debate over safeguards needed to preserve trust in financial markets. At an Axios event in Washington on Sept. 16, Better Markets co-founder, president and CEO Dennis Kelleher warned that a proposed Securities and Exchange Commission (U.S. securities regulator) rule eliminating quarterly reporting could weaken investor confidence. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board chair Jim Logothetis said less-frequent reporting would not be a major concern for his organization, which oversees audits of U.S. public companies, but stressed that auditing still requires human judgment and professional skepticism alongside AI. Kelleher advocated a people-centered AI agenda and criticized the Trump administration's hands-off approach. The debate also covered crypto regulation after the Clarity Act failed to advance in a procedural Senate vote that week. Kelleher said the sector needs stronger guardrails. In a sponsored segment, American Institute of CPAs President and CEO Mark Koziel said AI-generated audit work requires continued human verification to protect accuracy and public trust.