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Learn it. Try it. Make a decision.

Apply AI to finance with judgment.

Start with work you understand. Break it into steps, decide where AI can assist, and define how a person will check the result. A convincing answer still needs evidence and professional judgment.

Start my four-step path →Browse all resources

Devon Coombs, CPA, MBAAssistant Teaching Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of Real Estate Finance, Santa Clara University

Your starting path

Four steps. Something useful to show.

0 / 4 tasks

Up next: Understand what the tool can and cannot do

Check off a task after you have tried it. Progress saves in this browser when storage is available; this is a personal checklist, not a course grade or certificate.

  1. References & frameworks · 10-minute starter activity

    Understand what the tool can and cannot do

    Explore the foundations deck. Distinguish a fluent response from a verified answer. Use only fictional or approved public information in your practice.

    AI foundations for finance

  2. References & frameworks · 10-minute starter activity

    Map one small workflow

    Choose a task such as organizing public source documents or drafting a variance explanation. Identify the input, steps, output, and the person responsible for review.

    The AI-augmented accountant

  3. Practical guides · 10-minute starter activity

    Separate evidence from a draft conclusion

    Use the memo outline with a fictional issue. Identify the authoritative source you would verify, the facts still missing, and what a reviewer must challenge.

    How to write a technical accounting memo

  4. References & frameworks · 15-minute starter activity

    Define the review before scaling

    Write down the data allowed, access restrictions, checks, retained evidence, and escalation rule for your proposed workflow. Use the framework to identify control questions.

    AI & SOX internal controls framework

A fictional example · Check your understanding

A plausible explanation is not evidence

Imagine revenue rises 10% while units sold rise 2%. An AI draft attributes the difference to pricing. That is a hypothesis until you reconcile price, mix, timing, and other relevant drivers to source records.

What should a reviewer do before using that explanation?

Reconcile the numbers, inspect the underlying records, and check alternative explanations. Keep the calculation and source references with the conclusion; fluent wording alone is not a review procedure.

Questions to ask along the way.

How should accountants start learning AI?

Choose a familiar, limited task and use fictional or approved public data. Define a correct result, compare the output with source evidence, document errors, and keep a qualified person responsible for the conclusion.

Can AI make a technical accounting conclusion for me?

AI can help organize facts, draft an analysis, or suggest questions. The responsible professional must verify authoritative guidance, assess the facts, and review the conclusion. Generated citations can be wrong.

Where do I go after this starter path?

Continue into the free Applied AI for Finance and Accounting course for deeper practice. Teams that need facilitated instruction can explore Devon Coombs LLC’s workshops and the AI Center of Excellence.