Practical Ai For Finance: Automate, Forecast, And Optimize

Real-world AI tools for automation, forecasting, and investment optimization in finance

What you'll learn

Evaluate and select AI tools for financial automation.

Design and implement AI-driven forecasting models.

Integrate AI techniques into planning, control, and investment strategies.

Assess ethical and practical impacts of AI in finance.

Requirements

Participants are expected to have a solid grasp of basic accounting and finance concepts, along with a foundational understanding of key AI principles. Some prior experience with finance-related data analysis methods will help learners fully engage with the course material and apply AI techniques effectively in financial contexts.

Description

Course Description:This course is designed to empower finance professionals with the practical skills and knowledge needed to harness the power of artificial intelligence in their daily work. Through a hands-on, tool-driven approach, learners will discover how AI can streamline financial processes, enhance forecasting accuracy, and optimize investment strategies. The curriculum covers the full spectrum of AI applications in finance, from automating routine tasks and data collection to building predictive models and making data-driven investment decisions. Each module is structured around real-world scenarios and includes interactive labs, case studies, and guided tool demonstrations using accessible, free, or trial software. By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently select and apply AI tools to solve common financial challenges, interpret and communicate AI-driven insights, and understand the ethical and regulatory considerations unique to the financial sector. Whether you are a financial analyst, investment manager, or finance consultant, this course will provide you with actionable skills to drive efficiency, innovation, and value in your organization. No advanced programming experience is required—just a willingness to learn and experiment with the latest AI technologies shaping the future of finance.Audience:Financial analysts,investment managers,Accountants and Financial Controllersfinance consultants,Prerequisites:Basic Accounting and finance concepts.Foundational understanding of key AI concepts,Some experience with finance and data analysis methods.Main Outcome: Learners will be able to apply AI tools to automate, forecast, and optimize financial operations.Learning Objectives: After completing this course, learners will be able to:LO1: Evaluate and select AI tools for financial automation.LO2: Design and implement AI-driven forecasting models.LO3: Integrate AI techniques into planning, control, and investment strategies.LO4: Assess ethical and practical impacts of AI in finance.Key Takeaways:Hands-on experience with top AI tools for financeBuild and test forecasting modelsOptimize planning, control, and investment portfolios using AIUnderstand ethical and strategic implications of AI

Overview

Section 1: Introduction to Entire Course

Lecture 1 Intro Video to Course

Section 2: Introduction to AI & Automation in Finance

Lecture 2 Section Introduction

Lecture 3 What is AI?

Lecture 4 Automation in Finance: Use Cases

Lecture 5 Getting Started with Automation Tools

Section 3: Automating Data Collection & Reporting

Lecture 6 Data Collection Challenges in Finance

Lecture 7 Automating Data Imports

Lecture 8 Automated Reporting

Section 4: Building Your First Automation Workflow

Lecture 9 Workflow Design Basics

Lecture 10 No-Code Automation

Lecture 11 Low-Code Automation

Lecture 12 Guide: AI and Automation in Financial Reporting

Lecture 13 Hands-On-Learning: Automate a Financial Data Collection and Reporting Task

Section 5: Data Preparation & Exploration

Lecture 14 Section Introduction

Lecture 15 The Importance of Clean Data

Lecture 16 Data Cleaning in Practice

Lecture 17 Exploratory Data Analysis

Section 6: Predictive Analytics & Forecasting Models

Lecture 18 Introduction to Predictive Analytics

Lecture 19 Building a Simple Forecasting Model

Lecture 20 Machine Learning for Forecasting

Section 7: Model Evaluation & Interpretation

Lecture 21 Evaluating Model Performance

Lecture 22 Interpreting Results

Lecture 23 Improving Your Model

Lecture 24 AI in Finance: Use Cases, Strategies, Frameworks and Benefits

Lecture 25 Hands-On-Learning: Build and Evaluate a Financial Forecasting Model

Section 8: Budgeting & Resource Allocation with AI

Lecture 26 Section Introduction

Lecture 27 The Role of AI in Planning

Lecture 28 Scenario Analysis with AI

Lecture 29 Optimizing Budgets

Section 9: Cost Control & Fraud Detection

Lecture 30 AI for Cost Control

Lecture 31 Fraud Detection Basics

Lecture 32 Building a Fraud Detection Model

Section 10: Real-Time Monitoring & Alerts

Lecture 33 The Value of Real-Time Data

Lecture 34 Setting Up Real-Time Dashboards

Lecture 35 Automated Alerts

Lecture 36 How AI Agents are Transforming Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) – CFO.com

Lecture 37 Hands-On-Learning: Optimize a Budget and Set Up Real-Time Alerts

Section 11: Portfolio Optimization with AI

Lecture 38 Section Introduction

Lecture 39 Introduction to Portfolio Optimization

Lecture 40 Building an Optimized Portfolio

Lecture 41 Portfolio Optimization in Excel

Section 12: AI in Investment Decision-Making

Lecture 42 AI for Investment Research

Lecture 43 Data-Driven Stock Selection

Lecture 44 Using LLMs for Investment Insights

Section 13: Ethics, Bias, and Regulation in AI for Finance

Lecture 45 Ethical Challenges in AI

Lecture 46 Regulatory Landscape

Lecture 47 Case Study: When AI Goes Wrong

Lecture 48 How AI is Revolutionizing Investment Management: Forbes

Lecture 49 Hands-On-Learning: Portfolio Optimization and Ethical Risk Assessment

Section 14: Supplementary Items for Entire Course

Lecture 50 Course Wrap-up Video

Lecture 51 Capstone Project: End-to-End AI Solution for a Real-World Finance Problem

This course is designed for financial analysts, investment managers, accountants, financial controllers, and finance consultants who want to leverage the power of AI in their professional work. It is ideal for finance professionals who are looking to enhance their analytical skills, optimize decision-making, and stay ahead of emerging trends in AI-driven financial strategies.