Navigating the Next AI Landscape: Generative AI – From Chatbots to AI Agents for Accounting Professionals

Overview

Generative AI is rapidly moving from answering questions to completing bounded workflows, and for accounting and finance professionals the shift from chatbot to AI agent is no longer theoretical—it is an emerging reality with direct implications for productivity, work quality, and risk. This course provides a clear, practical view of today’s Gen AI landscape, explaining how chatbots work, what distinguishes a copilot, custom assistant, and true agent, and where each fits in a finance professional’s day-to-day work.

Objectives

Recall the distinctions among Gen AI, chatbots, copilots, custom assistants, and AI agents.
Identify finance and accounting tasks where Gen AI can improve productivity and work quality.
Distinguish the scenarios best suited for chatbots, copilots, custom assistants, automation, and AI agents.
Recognize the risks, controls, and governance considerations for AI adoption and agent implementation.

Highlights

What Is Gen AI and How Chatbots Work - Define core Gen AI concepts and explain how chatbots produce outputs through prompting, iteration, and human oversight.

The Progression from Chatbot to AI Agent - Map the capability progression from chatbots to agents and clarify what does—and does not—qualify as an AI agent in practice.

Practical Finance & Accounting Use Cases - Identify high-value finance and accounting scenarios where Gen AI can improve productivity, analysis, and repeatable work outputs today.

Agents and Workflows - Learn how to design and choose bounded, controllable workflows that combine tools, steps, and human gates appropriate for finance work.

Risks, Controls, and Governance - Evaluate the risk shift from "output" to "action," and apply practical controls and governance as AI autonomy increases.

What Comes Next & Discussion - Translate the concepts into an actionable near-term plan, including a 90-day roadmap, pilot structure, and discussion takeaways.

Designed For

Accounting and finance professionals and accounting leaders who want to build practical Gen AI fluency and understand where chatbots, copilots, custom assistants, and AI agents fit responsibly into their work.

Prerequisites

None

Notice

You will receive an email from the AICPA with instructions to access the webinar.

Fees

Credits

Level

Code

Vendor

Fields of Study

Leader(s):

Donald Tomoff
Jennifer Elder, Educational Speaker, The Sustainable CFO

Leader Bios

Donald Tomoff

Donald Tomoff, CPA, MBA

Don is the founder of Invenio Advisors LLC, a consulting firm specializing in information management, process improvement, reporting and data analysis, as well as education and training. Don’s experience includes “Big 4” public accounting, senior-level industry finance positions, and consulting. Don’s industry experience includes serving eight years with Jo-Ann Stores as VP, Finance and Treasurer.

Since 2010, Don has focused his efforts with executives and companies on many digital process improvement, data analytics and training initiatives, including developing and implementing mobile information strategies. His efforts are focused on the identification of process improvement opportunities, and leveraging readily available technology tools to drive that change. In addition to consulting, Don speaks at various conferences, including the IMA National Conference in Indianapolis, IN.

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Jennifer Elder, Educational Speaker, The Sustainable CFO

Jennifer Elder, CPA, CMA, CIA, CFF, CGMA helps businesses survive in turbulent times with strategic solutions. For more than 20 years, she has been helping organizations future-proof their business by solidifying their strengths, developing eternal vigilance, and creating a future-focused mindset. As a consultant and keynote speaker Jennifer is known for being energetic and enthusiastic, She has conducted seminars for the Fortune 500, the US Government, State CPA Societies, and CPA firms in 44 states and 2 countries. She is a business generalist and an accounting expert who can make the complicated simple, awesomely simple. She is a published author, named a “2015 Woman to Watch” by the AICPA and MACPA, and been awarded Outstanding Educator bythe AICPA for the past three years. When not on the road teaching, she is either living on her boat on Chesapeake Bay or skiing the slopes of New Hampshire with her husband and two cats (no the cats don’t ski!)

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