Transform static documents into a living, breathing cognitive workforce that thinks, debates, and works alongside you.
This course, developed entirely from scratch using the latest generation of AI research applications, provides a concise overview of how professionals can design and deploy custom AI chatbots using modern large language models and conversational AI platforms. Participants will learn how to transform static documents into interactive “thinking environments,” enabling users to question policies, analyze financial data, simulate expert reasoning, and accelerate decision-making. The course explains how modern chatbots have evolved beyond simple scripted responders into context-aware AI assistants capable of analyzing uploaded documents, maintaining conversational context, and supporting professional workflows.
Through practical demonstrations and real-world examples, learners will explore how to build specialized AI assistants using document grounding, persona-driven instructions, and contextual knowledge hubs. The course also introduces emerging capabilities such as document-grounded voice chat and conversational AI agents that interact with users through speech. Emphasis is placed on governance, verification, and responsible use, ensuring that AI accelerates research, analysis, and collaboration while maintaining professional judgment and oversight.
Topics Covered:
Introduction to modern AI chatbots and conversational AI
Document-grounded chat and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Persona-grounded AI assistants and expert role prompting
Building contextual knowledge hubs and persistent AI workspaces
Comparing leading AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity)
Document-grounded voice chat and conversational voice agents
Governance, verification, and responsible AI use in professional work
Target Audience:
This course is designed for accountants, consultants, analysts, and knowledge professionals who want to build custom AI assistants that enhance research, analysis, and decision-making in their organizations.
MA, CMC, CITP/FITP
GARRETT WASNY, MA, CMC, CITP/FITP, is an artificial intelligence (AI) skills advisor to accountants, tax attorneys, enrolled agents, and tax preparers worldwide. His courses focus on the new intersection of accounting and technology, and provide guidance to practitioners on how to prosper in this dynamic age. His sessions demystify emerging cloud, mobile, and social applications, and explain in plain language how financial professionals can use these online tools to build trust, solve problems, and create new value. He’s also an award-winning Internet speaker, author, app developer, professional development specialist, and former management consultant for Price Waterhouse. He's published 50+ ebooks on computing and ethical issues related to accounting, written hundreds of articles and columns on Internet strategy, and delivered thousands of seminars and webinars to CPAs and accounting organizations around the globe.
This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.
If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.
