Description

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept; it is a current necessity. This session provides a practical roadmap for practitioners to leverage AI safely and effectively. We move from a survey of available tools (from free apps to specialized software) to a deep dive into the ethical guardrails required to protect client data and maintain professional standards. Participants will leave with a playbook of real-world use cases that can be implemented immediately.

Instructor: Mark McCreary, CIPP/US

Target Audience

Accounting and finance professionals who wish to learn the latest on AI and its practical, real-world applications

Course Objectives

Gain a clear understanding of which tools fit your practice size and budget, whether you are a sole practitioner or part of a large firm

Understand how to build a firm-wide AI policy that balances innovation with risk management

Incorporate these low-cost, high-impact tools into your daily practice

Subjects

Explore from the history of automation to the current landscape of large language models (LLMs) and generative tools to demystify the technology

Free, accessible apps to enterprise-grade solutions and specialized accounting software tailored for tax, audit, and advisory workflows

Ethical obligations and professional standards that govern AI use, including data privacy, client confidentiality, and the management of "hallucinations" or inaccuracies

Through specific use cases and prompting demonstrations, understand how to use AI to draft complex communications, summarize research, optimize Excel workflows, and enhance client advisory services