How can finance teams use AI without risking accuracy?

Finance teams get the most from AI on the work around the numbers: drafting variance commentary, summarising long papers, tidying exports and answering routine emails. They need to be far more careful with the numbers themselves. With approved tools, clear data rules and a habit of checking every output, AI saves time without putting accuracy at risk.

Where are UK businesses with AI right now?

Adoption has grown quickly. The ONS reported in July 2026 that the share of UK businesses with 10 or more employees using AI rose from around 12% to around 35% between September 2023 and June 2026. Use hasn't deepened much, though: the average number of AI technologies used by those businesses only edged up, from about 1.4 to about 1.6.

Lack of expertise is one of the most cited barriers in the ONS data, and in our experience finance teams feel that more than most. They're used to a world where a figure is either right or wrong, and an early experiment that produced a confident wrong answer can put a team off for good.

Where does AI actually help a finance team?

Think about what fills the week at month-end. A surprising amount of it is writing.

Variance commentary is a good place to start. You give the tool figures you've already checked and the reasons you already know, then ask for a plain-English first draft of the explanation for the budget holder. You still own every word, but you're editing rather than staring at a blank page.

Board and management packs are another. Copilot in Word can summarise a long paper, pull out the decisions needed or turn rough notes into a tidy section. In Outlook it can draft replies to supplier queries, debtor chasers and internal requests for you to check and send. In Teams it can turn a month-end call into a list of actions and owners.

Excel is where people expect the magic, and where they need the most care. Copilot can explain or suggest formulas, help clean up an export and point out trends worth a second look. That's useful, but it's a starting point for your analysis, not a replacement for it.

Where should finance teams be careful?

In three places.

Numbers first. AI language tools can misread a table, mix up periods or produce a figure that looks plausible and isn't. Anything that goes into reporting should be recalculated or traced back to source by a person, every time.

Data second. Salary information, account numbers, client ledgers and forecasts you haven't published shouldn't go anywhere near a free consumer AI tool. Use only what your organisation has approved, signed in with your work account, and follow your policy on what can be shared even there. Our article on whether it's safe for staff to use ChatGPT and Copilot covers the basics.

Judgement third. AI can help you draft a recommendation, but it can't be accountable for one. Credit decisions, write-offs, supplier choices and anything heading to an auditor need a person to decide and sign off.

None of this is a reason to avoid AI. It's a reason to train people properly before they start.

What does good AI training for finance teams look like?

The first job is building trust in a checking routine. Once people trust their own way of verifying outputs, they're much more willing to use the tools on real work.

From there, the exercises should look like your work: your report templates, your style of commentary, your kind of supplier emails, with made-up or anonymised figures where your policies require it. A generic office demo won't convince an experienced management accountant. Watching Copilot produce a usable first draft of their own variance notes stands a much better chance.

Training also has to fit the calendar. A session in the middle of month-end or year-end is asking for half-empty chairs, so pick a quieter week. A half day is enough to get going, and a short series lets people try things during a real close and come back with questions.

Most businesses have some way to go. The same ONS analysis found that only 11% of businesses with 10 or more employees say more than half their workforce has received AI-related training.

Is it different for accountancy practices?

The principles are the same, but confidentiality matters even more because you're handling client data. Useful starting points for practices include drafting client letters and engagement emails, summarising long documents and notes from client meetings, and preparing first drafts of internal guidance.

Clear rules matter more here too: which tools are approved, what client information can never go into them and who reviews anything before it reaches a client.

How do we get started?

Our AI training for finance teams is built around exactly these tasks, covering Copilot in Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams, ChatGPT where you use it, and safe use in every exercise. Sessions are private and hands-on for up to 12 people, at your premises anywhere in the UK, at a venue or live online. They're priced per group, and the price is fixed before you book.

If your organisation has Copilot licences, Microsoft Copilot for Business is the natural programme to build from. For how we train other departments, see AI training for staff.

Frequently asked questions

Can Copilot do our month-end reporting?

No, not on its own. It can draft commentary, summarise papers and help with spreadsheets, but every figure still needs checking and a person needs to sign off the report.

Is it safe to put financial data into ChatGPT?

Only into tools your organisation has approved for that data, and in line with your policy. Sensitive personal and commercial information should never go into a free consumer AI tool.

What's a good first AI task for a finance team?

Drafting variance commentary from figures you've already checked. It saves time on the writing while keeping the numbers firmly in your hands.

How long does AI training for finance teams take?

A half day covers the essentials. A full day or a short series gives more time to practise on real reporting tasks.

Plan your finance team's AI training

Tell us about your team, your tools and your reporting calendar, and we'll build a session around them. Call +44 1382 699595 or plan your finance team's training.