Description

This course introduces accounting, auditing, and finance professionals to the emerging field of agentic AI: autonomous, goal-driven systems capable of planning, acting, and learning with minimal human intervention. Participants will explore how agentic AI differs from traditional automation (RPA) and generative AI, and how these agents are being deployed in finance and accounting. The course emphasizes foundational concepts such as the Perceive–Reason–Act–Learn (PRAL) loop and ethical decision-making frameworks.

To ground abstract ideas in practice, participants will experience a brief agent simulation using basic ChatGPT, showcasing how natural language prompts can emulate agentic behavior, such as goal setting, clarification loops, and structured task execution.

The course also highlights real-world agent platforms (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, IBM watsonx, and UiPath) to provide context on enterprise adoption trends and discusses emerging global regulations such as the EU AI Act and the U.S. Executive Order on Safe AI.

Instructor: Cory Ng

Target Audience

CPAs, CFOs, controllers, finance managers, CITP/CISA holders or aspirants, and professionals interested in the impact of agentic systems on finance and management accounting

Course Objectives

Define agentic AI and differentiate it from generative AI and RPA

Identify core use cases of agentic AI in finance and accounting, including scenario modeling and financial close automation

Recognize the potential benefits and risks of deploying autonomous agents in financial workflows

Understand global regulatory frameworks that govern agentic AI

Assess the role of the accounting professional in ensuring responsible AI adoption

Subjects

Evolution from RPA to agentic AI (PRAL cycle: perceive, reason, act, and learn)

Use cases in financial reporting and decision support

Platform overview: simulating agents with ChatGPT; enterprise examples from IBM watsonx, Microsoft Copilot, and UiPath

Global regulation: EU AI Act, U.S. Executive Order, AICPA Code of Conduct

Ethical considerations and professional skepticism in autonomous systems