Professional Training

Course Objectives

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

Explain the strengths and limitations of generative AI in professional practice.
Apply professional scepticism when reviewing AI-generated content.
Evaluate AI outputs using structured critical-thinking techniques.
Identify situations where AI should support, rather than replace, professional judgement.
Recognise AI-related risks affecting financial reporting, advisory work and business decisions.
Understand current and future planned Standards and the speed at which they are evolving
Develop practical guidelines for responsible AI use within their organisation.
Use prompting techniques to improve analysis while maintaining accountability for decisions.
Contribute to an organisational culture of responsible and ethical AI adoption.

Opening and Framing

Why this matters: AI is confident-sounding but not always right
Quick poll/discussion: "Where do you already use AI tools? What worries you about them?"
Set the tone: this is about habits of mind, not tech skills

How AI actually generates answers

AI predicts plausible-sounding text/output based on patterns, not "knowing" facts
The difference between "sounds right" and "is right"
Live demo: give the same prompt to an AI twice, get different answers
Introduce the idea of "hallucination" with concrete examples

Core Critical Thinking habits for AI output

4–5 practical checks and use small-group exercises giving participants real (and fabricated) AI outputs and have them apply the checklist.
Source check — Can this be verified elsewhere? Did the AI cite anything real?
Plausibility check — Does this match what I already know or can easily confirm?
Specificity trap — Suspiciously precise numbers/quotes/citations are a red flag
Bias/framing check — Whose perspective might be missing or overrepresented?
Consequence check — What's the cost if this is wrong? (calibrate scrutiny to stakes)

Case Studies and Practice

Work through 3–4 realistic scenarios relevant to participants' work/life:
AI-written email/report with a subtle factual error
AI summary of a document that misses context
AI-generated advice (medical, financial, legal-adjacent) - discuss limits
AI image/content that looks authoritative but is fabricated
Small groups evaluate each, then share out

Prompting as a Thinking Tool

Better prompts don't just get better answers - they force you to clarify your own thinking
Practice: asking AI to show its reasoning, cite sources, argue against itself
Recognising when a question is "unanswerable well" by AI (matters of judgment, current events, personal values)

Building Personal/Team Guidelines

Participants draft a simple personal checklist or team norms for AI use
Discuss: when is AI use appropriate vs. when should a human have final say?
Share out and refine as a group