Back to basics: AI

How do you actually use AI in finance, and where can it take you? This series answers that step by step. We begin with the basics, no prior AI experience needed, then move into hands-on sessions covering budgeting, real-time dashboards, and a live look at the winning workflow from our AI in Finance Challenge. We close with a designer's take on bringing AI into your finance presentations. By the end, you'll have a working foundation and practical ideas you can apply right away.

1. Week

   01
   Sep 2 · 11 AM ET

   Starting from square 1: AI in finance

   This session grounds the series in the basics, covering what AI actually is, common terms explained plainly, and why finance teams are adopting it now. A starting point for anyone who wants to build from a solid foundation rather than jumping straight into tools.
2. Week

   02
   Sep 9 · 11 AM ET

   AI prompts: A playbook

   This session covers the hands-on basics of prompting, with real examples pulled from everyday finance tasks like summarizing reports or drafting variance explanations. A practical entry point for anyone new to working with AI directly.
3. Week

   03
   Sep 16 · 11 AM ET

   Smarter budgeting and forecasting

   This session looks at how AI tools support budgeting and rolling forecasts, from building out a first budget to testing multiple assumptions and generating quick projections. We will also cover where human judgment still needs to lead, so the numbers stay grounded in real business context.
4. Week

   04
   Sep 23 · 11 AM ET

   From static to real-time: AI for dashboards

   This session covers using AI to speed up board decks, KPI summaries, and monthly reporting. We will look at where AI saves the most time, and how to keep reporting accurate and properly contextualized even as more of the process becomes automated.
5. Week

   05
   Sep 30 · 11 AM ET

   AI in Finance Challenge: The winning workflow

   This session features the winner of the AI in Finance Challenge presenting the workflow that won them the title, walking through how they built it and what it solves for. Moderated by Mike, Founder of F9 Finance, the conversation digs into the practical decisions behind the workflow and what other finance teams can take from it.