AI
AI for Business: Introduction to AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot
$325per person · list price
Put AI to work in your day without the hype. Learn how Microsoft 365 Copilot really works and where it can get things wrong, then use it across Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Word - responsibly, and with sensitive data in mind.
CPE Eligible - 6.5 CPE credit hours. Visit /cpe for details.CPE page →
Course objective
Designed for business professionals ready to save time and boost productivity with AI across their daily Office apps. Students will learn how to use structured prompting to produce consistent AI output, leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot to analyze and automate business tasks across Excel and other Microsoft applications, then incorporate responsible AI practices in the workplace.
Prerequisites
Attendees are expected to have Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) access to participate in the hands-on exercises.
Course outline
How Business AI Actually Works (So You Can Trust It)
- Understand What AI Can and Can't Do in a Business Context
- Recognize When the AI Is Confidently Wrong (A Plain-English Look at Pattern Matching and Probability)
- Identify AI Strengths, Limitations, and Built-In Safety Controls
- Understand How AI Generates a Response
- Incorporate Structured Prompting Techniques
Working Faster in Excel with Copilot
- Generate, Explain, and Modify Formulas on Demand
- Compare Legacy and Modern Lookup Functions
- Use Copilot to Analyze Data and Identify Trends
- Discover Advanced Excel Functions and Features with Copilot
- Validate AI-Generated Output Before You Rely on It
Automating and Streamlining Excel Workflows
- Identify Tasks Suitable for Automation
- Generate, Review, and Safely Use VBA and Macros
- Optimize and Simplify Complex Formulas
- Build Faster, Cleaner Reports with AI
Applying AI Across Microsoft 365
- Enhance Meetings and Collaboration with Copilot in Teams
- Use Copilot in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
- Summarize, Rewrite, and Extract Key Information from Text, Long-Form Text, and Data
- Select the Appropriate AI Tool for the Task
Responsible AI in the Workplace
- Recognize Sensitive Information and What Should Never Be Shared with AI
- Understand Platform Safety, Governance, and Compliance Controls
- Adopt Responsible AI Use and Best Practices
- Validate AI-Generated Content Before Distribution
Optional Add-On: Advanced Topics (Power BI & Data Modeling)
- Generate and Validate AI-Assisted Power Pivot/DAX Measures for Excel and Power BI
- Generate and Validate AI-Assisted Power Query M Code
- Compare Excel and Power BI Calculations