Dates and location

Registration open until
June 15, 2026
Start date
June 16, 2026
End date
June 16, 2026
Location
Virtual

Pricing

$169.00
Member
$169.00
Student
$205.00
Public
$119.00
Personal PD Passport Pricing
ADD TO CART

Hours

Time
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
PD hour(s)
2 hours
Ethics hour(s) included
0 hours
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Special Event: AI and Automation for CPAs

Seminars

Special Event: AI and Automation for CPAs

Home

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Data, Technology & Innovation

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Special Event: AI and Automation for CPAs

Seminars

Special Event: AI and Automation for CPAs

Dates and location

Registration open until
June 15, 2026
Start date
June 16, 2026
End date
June 16, 2026
Location
Virtual

Pricing

$169.00
Member
$169.00
Student
$205.00
Public
$119.00
Personal PD Passport Pricing
ADD TO CART

Hours

Time
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
PD hour(s)
2 hours
Ethics hour(s) included
0 hours

Description

There’s no shortage of AI and automation tools for accounting firms today. Most CPAs know they should be paying attention, but with new products launching every week and marketing that all sounds the same - it’s hard to know where to begin.

This is a two-hour tour of seven categories of technology that are useful for accounting work. Not a sales pitch for any single product. Not a theoretical discussion about the future of the profession. You’ll benefit from a walkthrough of each tool that shows how it works with real accounting data and explains when it’s appropriate to use and when it isn’t.

By the end of the two hours, you’ll have a clear understanding of what’s available, what each tool category does best, and which options are worth exploring further for your needs.

Note: Registration for this seminar closes June 15, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT).

Agenda

Time Topic
9:00 a.m. — 9:05 a.m.

Opening

  • Quick context: why the last 3 months have been different from the last 18 months in accounting tech.
  • The question to keep in mind during the session: "Does this solve a problem I actually have?"
  • Overview of the seven categories and how they relate to each other.
9:05 a.m. — 9:20 a.m.

Excel Plugins: AI Inside the Spreadsheet

  • ChatGPT for Excel: using natural language to write formulas, clean up data, and spot patterns.
  • Claude for Sheets (Google Sheets): running AI across hundreds of rows at once for categorization, extraction, and cleanup.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel: AI-assisted analysis, PivotTables from plain English, and querying your data conversationally.
  • Honest comparison: when each one works well, and when you're better off leaving the spreadsheet entirely.
9:20 a.m. — 9:35 a.m.

The Claude Ecosystem

  • Claude Web App: research, document review, drafting, and analysis through conversation.
  • Claude Cowork: an AI agent that works across your desktop files and applications.
  • Claude Code: a command-line tool for writing and running scripts, automations, and code.
  • Why context window size matters when you need to process an entire year of financial data at once.
9:35 a.m. — 9:50 a.m.

Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem

  • Copilot Chat: general-purpose AI assistant that lives inside the Microsoft 365 apps you already use.
  • Copilot Agents: custom AI agents you can build to handle specific, repeatable tasks.
  • Copilot in action across Outlook, Teams, and Word.
  • If your firm runs on Microsoft, here's what's already available to you.
9:50 a.m. — 10:05 a.m.

Automation Middleware

  • N8N: open-source, self-hosted option for firms that need to keep data on their own servers.
  • Make.com: visual workflow builder that connects your accounting apps without writing code.
  • Zapier: the simplest starting point for basic "when this happens, do that" automations.
  • Real examples: auto-routing receipts, triggering reconciliation tasks, automating client onboarding steps.
10:05 a.m. — 10:20 a.m.

No-Code App Builders

  • Lovable.dev: tell it what you want in plain English, and it builds you a working web app.
  • Why this matters for CPAs: you can build internal tools (intake forms, fee calculators, approval workflows) without hiring a developer.
  • Built-in security and authentication, which matters when you're handling client data.
  • Where these tools fall short and when you actually do need a developer.
10:20 a.m. — 10:35 a.m.

Google Infrastructure

  • Google Apps Script: adding custom automation to Google Sheets, Docs, and Gmail. Small scripts, big time savings.
  • Google Gemini: AI capabilities built into Google Workspace, plus standalone use for research.
  • Practical applications if your firm runs on Google instead of Microsoft.
10:35 a.m. — 10:50 a.m.

The ChatGPT Environment

  • ChatGPT Web App: conversational AI for tax research, document review, and general accounting questions.
  • Custom GPTs: building a purpose-specific AI assistant that knows your firm's processes.
  • ChatGPT Agents: letting AI handle multi-step tasks on its own within defined guardrails.
  • Codex: OpenAI's code generation tool and what it means for accounting automation.
10:50 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Closing

  • Quick recap of all seven categories.
  • A practical framework for deciding which tools to explore first.
  • The questions every CPA should ask before putting an AI tool into production (data privacy, professional responsibility, client consent).
  • Preview of the proposed eight-week hands-on course (optional)
  • Q&A.

Key Takeaways

After this session, participants will be able to:

  • Name seven categories of AI and automation tools that are relevant to accounting work today.
  • Explain the practical differences between the major AI platforms (Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini) and describe which accounting tasks each handles well.
  • Describe how automation middleware (N8N, Make.com, Zapier) connects accounting applications and reduces manual work.
  • Explain how agentic engineering let CPAs create internal tools without hiring a developer, and identify where those tools have limits.
  • Identify the data privacy and professional responsibility questions a CPA needs to answer before putting any AI tool into production use.
  • Decide which of the seven technology categories are worth their time based on their own role, firm size, and existing software stack.

Who Will Benefit

CPAs in public practice, industry, or government who keep hearing about AI tools but haven't had time to figure out which ones to use for accounting work.

How to Access the Course

This course is delivered as a live webinar. To receive verifiable CPD hours, you must attend the session live. We recommend joining at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. For the best interactive experience, please use a computer equipped with a camera and microphone.

A reminder email with the Zoom link and course details will be sent two business days before the session. If you do not receive it, please check your spam or junk folder.

The same information, including any available materials, will also be posted in advance on our Blackboard LMS.

Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.

Speaker(s)

Portrait of Chad Davis

Chad Davis is a CPA and co-founder of LiveCA LLP, one of Canada's first fully virtual accounting firms. He's run LiveCA since 2013, and the firm currently has about 60 staff serving hundreds of clients across Canada. He also runs AutomationTown, where he teaches accountants how to use AI and automation in their practices. He posts daily on LinkedIn about accounting technology and has spent the last two years testing and implementing every tool covered in this session. Chad has personally handled thousands of client sales calls, built internal automation pipelines with these tools, and consults on LiveCA's technology strategy. 

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