“The magic happens when we sign in and have a licence for Copilot for Microsoft 365. It knows everything about me, which makes it a very handy helper.”- Inbal Rodnay
AI has moved beyond novelty status in accounting. It’s no longer a question of if you’ll use it, but how. At the Growth Club Summit by The Firm, one of the most anticipated sessions, led by AI educator Inbal Rodnay, pulled back the curtain on Microsoft Copilot and showed how firms are using it right now in real, practical ways.
Watch Inbal's session here
Inbal’s session wasn’t about the hype. It was about the how. And for firms still sitting on the fence about which AI tool to bet on, or how to actually roll it out safely, this session delivered the clarity they needed.
Here’s what you missed.
From Chatbot to Embedded Assistant: What Makes Copilot Different
We’ve all seen the demos. AI tools drafting emails, summarising documents, generating slides. But Copilot’s real strength isn’t flashy features. It’s context.
It sits inside Microsoft 365, meaning it already knows your calendar, your emails, your files, and your meetings.
Rather than starting from a blank slate, Copilot builds from your working world.
Ask it to “summarise my week,” and it pulls from your emails, meetings, documents, and notes to give you a surprisingly useful overview. Ask, “What did I work on this week?” and it helps jog your memory for timesheets or catch-ups. Ask, “What’s going on with the Johnson audit?” and it scans your firm’s SharePoint, Teams, and emails for updates.
“People come back from holiday and go, ‘Catch me up.’ Copilot will tell you what’s going on in your life.”- Inbal Rodnay
The difference between a standalone chatbot and a workplace AI assistant becomes clear. One answers questions. The other understands your context.
Copilot vs ChatGPT (and Others): Pick the Right Tool for the Job
There’s no need to pick sides. Inbal made that clear from the start. Copilot and ChatGPT serve different purposes, and the firms seeing the most success use both.
• ChatGPT (or Claude) is the go-to for creative content, structured writing, deeper reasoning, and advanced logic.
• Copilot shines when you need quick summaries, project context, internal follow-ups, or document retrieval, all within the secure walls of your Microsoft environment.
“ChatGPT is smarter, but Copilot is in my environment. It’s a no-brainer for security and day-to-day tasks.”- Inbal Rodnay
Inbal also flagged Perplexity as one to watch. It’s an AI tool that prioritises research first, then summarises the results. It’s become her go-to for searching the web, but Copilot remains her pick for anything internal.
Real Examples from Accounting Firms
This wasn’t a theoretical session. Inbal brought live demos and use cases straight from her community of accounting and bookkeeping professionals.
These are just a few ways firms are using Copilot day to day:
• Summarising projects. Ask where things stand and get an overview of recent emails, document updates, and next actions.
• Time tracking help. Copilot helps users recall what they worked on throughout the week for faster timesheets.
• Follow-up prompts. “Based on my inbox, what should I prioritise?” It’s a quick way to cut through the noise.
• Internal search. No more digging through files. Ask Copilot directly and it surfaces what you need.
• Client history. “Who do I know at X company?” or “What did we last say to them?” It can pull context quickly from emails and Teams chats.
“I got used to using Copilot instead of search. I don’t search documents or emails anymore. I just ask questions.”- Inbal Rodnay
Inbal’s point wasn’t that Copilot is revolutionary. It’s that it’s useful, immediately.
Building Agents: Your Next AI Team Members
Beyond basic chat features, Copilot introduces the concept of AI agents. Think of these as small, specialised team members. You can build them in Copilot Studio, give them specific knowledge and tasks, and embed them into Teams chats.
Examples included:
• A meeting summariser that auto-drafts notes after every internal or client call
• A policy adviser that can answer questions about your firm’s HR or tech policies
• A client-specific agent that knows background and context for a large engagement
“Agents are like having little AI team members. They can retrieve documents, send emails, and summarise content autonomously.” - Inbal Rodnay
While agents require a bit more set-up, Inbal was clear. Most firms won’t need to build them straight away. But for firms with dedicated innovation leads or in-house AI champions, it’s a powerful next step.
Rollout Risks and Security Must-Knows
One of the most valuable parts of the session was Inbal’s breakdown of internal security risks. Because Copilot uses your Microsoft environment, it doesn’t leak data to external sources. But it does surface everything a user has access to. And therein lies the risk.
Let’s say someone shared a file internally using a public link. Maybe a payroll file or draft board report. If that link was set to “Anyone with the link,” Copilot will find it. Even if it’s buried in a folder that others usually don’t access.
“Copilot assumes user permissions. If you shared a sensitive file via link, it could be found and surfaced by anyone internally.” - Inbal Rodnay
To roll out Copilot safely, you need to:
• Audit shared links and set expiry dates or limit access by user
• Stop using “anyone with the link” sharing defaults
• Tidy up document folders so Copilot doesn’t unearth outdated or confidential files
• Establish an AI usage policy that supports staff to explore safely, not a restrictive one that discourages use
A well-governed roll-out protects your firm and makes Copilot even more powerful.
Onboarding, Training, and Real Adoption
You can’t just flick the switch. Inbal noted that real adoption requires leadership buy-in, clear policies, hands-on training, and ongoing momentum.
What’s working in the firms she works with?
• Scenario-based training. Teaching people to use Copilot by showing real tasks, such as “Catch me up after a holiday” or “Write a meeting summary”
• Weekly team sharing. Asking “What did you use AI for this week?” to keep learning fresh
• Start simple. Let staff use Copilot for search and summarising before introducing agents or advanced features
• Make it safe to play. Without a clear usage policy, staff worry about doing it wrong. A clear, supportive policy helps staff feel safe exploring.
Inbal also reminded firms to match tools to user types. Some team members will dive into Copilot immediately. Others need hand-holding. That’s normal.
How Copilot Fits with the Bigger Picture
If you’re using Microsoft 365, Copilot is the logical first step into workplace AI. It won’t replace your team’s skills, but it can buy them back some time, especially in admin-heavy or low-complexity work.
Combined with other tools, ChatGPT for content, Perplexity for research, and AI agents for repeatable tasks, you start to build an environment where your team does more thinking and less digging.
“Copilot is good enough to be the main tool for people at work. It’s in your face, wherever you go in Microsoft.”- Inbal Rodnay
And that’s where the accounting profession is headed. AI that’s not showy, but integrated. Invisible. Embedded.
Start Small, But Start Now
Whether you’re already using Copilot or still figuring out where AI fits in your firm, the takeaway from this session was simple. Start.
Start with the tasks that already frustrate your team. Chasing files, writing summaries, catching up after holidays. Then build from there.
And if you’re planning a wider rollout, treat it like any other change project, with structure, safety, and a few quick wins early on.
The firms leading the way aren’t the ones with the flashiest tech. They’re the ones who’ve made AI part of the day-to-day.
Relive Inbal's session here
