The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has unveiled a new e-learning initiative to assist its members in navigating the implications of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within the finance and accounting fields.

This programme, which follows the earlier Sustainability Accelerator Programme, provides members with practical resources that explore five key GenAI platforms.

It includes guidance on potential applications and a structured approach for implementation.

ICAEW noted that GenAI is currently influencing the profession, rather than being a future consideration.

A recent survey conducted as part of their 2025 member research revealed that more than half of ICAEW chartered accountants view technology, automation, and GenAI as significant opportunities and challenges.

While a notable 85% of respondents indicated a readiness to engage with AI, many expressed concerns about their preparedness, attributing this to insufficient training as a primary obstacle to adoption.

To mitigate these concerns, ICAEW has established the GenAI Accelerator Programme, enabling members to register and gain insights into tools such as ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Grok.

GenFinance.AI, a firm specialising in assisting finance teams and practices with the adoption of generative AI, played a significant role in the development of the programme.

GenFinance.AI founder Peter Beard said: “The finance and accounting profession has experienced waves of new technologies over the decades, but nothing like this.

“The scope and scale of what GenAI can do, its flexibility and its cost-effectiveness mean unparalleled and democratised access to knowledge and capability. “It is one of the most fundamental technological changes of our time. GenAI is levelling the playing field, empowering professionals at every level like no other technology previously before.”