AI Foundations
Build a foundation you can use at work.
Welcome to AI Foundations
AI is increasingly part of the way professionals prepare, analyse and communicate information. This course is designed to help you understand what these tools can do, where they have limitations and how to use them with appropriate care. It is not a course about replacing professional expertise. It is about developing the knowledge and skills to use AI effectively in the context of your own role.
Whether you work in accounting, finance, management or another business function, you will learn a practical framework for choosing a suitable task, working with AI and evaluating the result before it is relied upon.
By the end of the course, you will be able to
- ✓Explain core AI concepts and distinguish assistants, copilots and agents.
- ✓Identify appropriate use cases and select tools using relevant capability and information-control criteria.
- ✓Prepare clear instructions and evaluate AI-generated information, calculations and conclusions.
- ✓Apply foundational principles of professional accountability, confidentiality and risk-based oversight.
- ✓Complete a guided document-review exercise and develop a practical application plan for your work.
How the course works
Module 1
Understanding AI and choosing tools
Module 2
Effective use and professional responsibility
Module 3
Guided practice and next steps
The course contains six lessons, short activities, knowledge checks and a fictional Australian business case. Allow approximately 90–120 minutes, depending on your experience and the time you spend on practice. You can complete the learning activities without an AI subscription. If you use an AI tool, follow your organisation's policies and do not upload confidential or personal work information unless the use is authorised.
The examples are educational and do not constitute financial, accounting, tax, legal or investment advice. Applicable professional and organisational requirements take precedence over general course guidance.
A note on learning
You do not need to master every tool or technical term before you begin. The aim is to understand enough to make sound choices, test what you learn and recognise when further expertise or review is required.