AI Without the Risk: How to use It in Regulated Environments (Without Losing Control)

AI isn't the future, it's already here. The real question is how to use it without putting your firm, your data, or your reputation at risk.

In this session, Dawn Brolin cuts through the noise and delivers a practical framework for implementing AI inside regulated environments. Drawing on her own experience running Powerful Accounting and advising accounting professionals nationwide, Dawn will show you exactly where AI fits (and where it doesn't) in a compliance-conscious firm.

You'll learn how to evaluate AI tools before you adopt them, what questions to ask vendors about data handling and security, and how to build internal protocols that give your team clear boundaries and confidence. Dawn addresses the specific concerns that keep firm owners up at night: client confidentiality, professional liability, data retention, and the risk of over-relying on AI-generated output without appropriate oversight.

This is not a session about fear. It's a session about control. The firms that will win with AI are the ones who implement it intentionally, with smart systems, human oversight, and clear accountability. Dawn will show you how to be one of those firms.

Attendees will leave with a clear action plan for evaluating their current AI use, identifying gaps in their protocols, and taking confident next steps, without reckless experimentation and leaving value on the table.

Why should you Attend: You already know AI is changing everything. Your clients are asking about it. Your competitors are experimenting with it. But here's what nobody is telling you: most accounting firms are implementing AI in ways that are quietly creating real risk.

Right now, firm owners across the country are feeding sensitive client data into AI tools without understanding where that data goes. They're using AI-generated output without proper human review. They're handing staff AI tools without setting expectations or protocols. And they're doing all of this while operating in one of the most regulated professional environments that exists.

If something goes wrong (a data breach, a compliance failure, a client complaint) the liability lands on you. Saying "I didn't know" won't protect your license, your reputation, or your firm.

But here's the good news: you don't have to avoid AI to stay safe. You just have to use it the right way.

Dawn Brolin has done the hard work of figuring out what actually works inside a real accounting firm. She'll show you how to implement AI with confidence, build the internal protocols that protect you, and create a culture of smart, supervised technology use that your team will actually follow. This session gives you the practical playbook to move forward without fear and without risk.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• How AI is already being used (and misused) inside accounting firms
• The top compliance and data privacy risks firm owners must know
• How to evaluate and vet AI tools before adopting them in your firm
• Building internal AI protocols and usage policies your team will follow
• Maintaining human oversight without slowing down efficiency gains
• Real examples of AI that works - and AI that backfired
• Practical next steps to implement AI responsibly starting now

• Accounting Firm Owners and Partners
• CPAs and Public Accounting Professionals
• Firm Managers and Operations Directors
• Bookkeepers and Accounting Practice Owners
• Controllers and CFOs in regulated industries
• Tax Professionals and Enrolled Agents
• Compliance Officers within accounting organizations