Essential AI awareness for everyone in the firm. A consistent baseline of AI awareness across the workforce, together with evidence that staff have completed structured AI safety training.
Who it’s for
This course is designed for anyone working in an accounting or bookkeeping practice who uses, or may use, artificial intelligence as part of their work.
Suitable for:
- Accountants and bookkeepers
- Tax and payroll teams
- Audit and advisory staff
- Trainees and junior team members
- Administration and support staff
- Managers and department heads
- Partners and directors
No previous AI knowledge is required.
What the firm gains
The course helps establish a consistent baseline of AI safety awareness across the practice.
After training, staff should have a clearer understanding of:
- which AI systems they should be using;
- how client and confidential information should be treated;
- why AI-generated work needs appropriate checking;
- what meaningful human oversight looks like;
- when they should ask for guidance;
- how to recognise and report potential AI-related problems.
Firms also gain evidence of structured training through learner completion records, knowledge assessment and individual certificates.
What you’ll cover
Know What You Are Using
Understand different AI tools, personal and business accounts, approved systems and the risks of Shadow AI.
Client Data and Confidentiality
Learn how to recognise sensitive, confidential and personal information and when it may be inappropriate to enter it into an AI system.
AI Can Be Wrong
Understand hallucinations, fabricated references, outdated information, incorrect calculations and why confident AI output is not necessarily correct.
Human Review and Professional Responsibility
Learn what meaningful human oversight looks like and why professional responsibility remains with the person using AI-assisted work.
Using AI Responsibly
Apply the PPCS SAFE Check — System, Appropriate information, Fact-check, Escalate — before using AI professionally.
When Something Goes Wrong
Recognise AI-related incidents, preserve useful information and understand when and how concerns should be escalated.
Features and benefits
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Accountancy-specific content | Training reflects real situations encountered in accounting practices |
| Approx. 1 hour | Easy to deploy across the whole firm without significant disruption |
| Six structured learning units | Breaks AI safety into clear, manageable topics |
| Short videos, slides and scenarios | More engaging than a traditional webinar or slide presentation |
| Practical accounting examples | Helps learners apply the principles to real work |
| Unit knowledge checks | Reinforces learning as the course progresses |
| Final assessment | Confirms understanding before completion |
| Certificate of completion | Provides evidence of structured professional learning |
| PPCS SAFE Check | Gives staff a simple framework they can remember and use at work |
| Downloadable practical guides | Provides useful reference material after the course is complete |
| Online self-paced learning | Learners can complete the course at a convenient time |
| Firm-level completion visibility | Helps practices track staff training and evidence completion |
Questions
How long does the course take?
The course contains approximately one hour of structured learning, followed by a short final assessment. Completion time may vary slightly between learners.
Do I need any previous knowledge of AI?
No. The course starts with the basics and is designed for people with all levels of AI experience.
It is suitable both for staff already using tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot and for people who are only beginning to encounter AI at work.
Is this course specifically for accountants?
Yes. The course has been designed around the practical risks and decisions faced within accounting and bookkeeping practices.
Examples include client correspondence, payroll information, tax documents, professional advice, financial information and AI-assisted client work.
Do learners receive a certificate?
Yes. Learners who complete all course units and successfully pass the final assessment can download a PPCS certificate of completion, including their course and completion details.
Does this course teach people how to use AI productively?
The focus of this course is safe and responsible AI use rather than advanced prompting or productivity techniques.
For learners who want to develop practical AI skills as well, PPCS offers Practical AI for Accountants: Safe and Effective Use as the next step.
Does this course count towards CPD?
Yes. AI Safety Essentials for Accountancy Practices is designed as structured professional learning, with defined learning outcomes, approximately one hour of learning, knowledge checks, a final assessment and a certificate of completion.
The certificate records the learner, course, completion date and CPD learning time, providing evidence that can support verifiable CPD records for bodies such as ICAEW and ACCA, where the training is relevant to the individual's role.
As with all CPD, individual members remain responsible for ensuring that the activity meets the requirements of their own professional body.