If you've started using agentic AI (Claude Cowork, Claude Code, ChatGPT's agent mode) on real files, there's a simple test worth knowing. The failure mode is invisible until it isn't. It's called the lethal trifecta, and an AI agent becomes genuinely risky when all three of these are true at once: it has access to private data, it's exposed to content you didn't write yourself, and it has a way to send data out. Here's what that looks like. You ask an agent to summarise a client's supplier invoices. One invoice is a PDF that arrived from a supplier you've never dealt with. Buried in it, in white text on a white background, is a line telling the AI to send the folder's contents somewhere else. You can't see it. The AI reads it perfectly, and complies. No alert. No error. The summary looks completely normal. All three legs were present: private data, an untrusted document, and an email connection to send through. You don't need to understand how the attack works. You need to be able to look at a setup and count to three. Two out of three is workable. Three is not. This is the one idea from the full Privacy and Security course in the Classroom I'd want every firm to know even if they read nothing else. It's not in the free guide, it's one of four extra chapters in the full course, alongside prompt injection, connecting AI to QuickBooks and Xero, and the 2026 rules for the UK, EU and US. Have you connected an AI agent to your email, files, or accounting software yet? What made you go for it, or what's held you back? 👇

I've been sitting on this for months, and today it's finally live. The AI Academy is going to Portugal. Two days that could change how you use AI in your firm ... in a small group of no more than 25 AI Academy members ... on the coast of Portugal in March 2027. Here's what's happening: - Wednesday 3 March: Welcome wine tasting evening - Thursday 4 and Friday 5 March: Two full days of intensive AI working sessions at the Vila Galé Hotel in Ericeira - Pre-dinner drinks with the group on both evenings We'll work through your real AI challenges together. Prompt engineering ... automations ... how AI agents actually fit into a firm ... whatever you're stuck on right now. This isn't a slide-fest. It's roll-up-your-sleeves work with peers who get it. For the next few days only, you can grab your place at the flash sale price of $395. But ONLY IF YOU ARE AN AI ACADEMY MEMBER. There is currently a free 7-day trial here, https://www.skool.com/theaiacademy/about That price is only live until 8am UK time on Friday. After that, it jumps to $495, and it keeps stepping up from there ... full standard price is $1,600. You'll find the brochure below 👇 I'd love to see you there. What's the one AI challenge you'd love to work through if you were sitting in that room with us? Drop it below 👇

I'm curious to know what is most important to you. Answer below. Then comment WHY! 👇

I did something recently that genuinely surprised me. I used AI to review a full set of year-end financial statements. Not summarise them ... actually review them. It opened the accounts, checked the numbers, flagged errors, and corrected mispostings directly inside QuickBooks Online. Some of it was remarkable. Some of it was concerning. Both reactions are appropriate. So next Wednesday — 3 June, 4pm UK / 11am ET — I'm going live for 60 minutes to show you exactly what happened. I'll cover: - Why agentic AI changes everything accountants thought was possible - What happened when I used AI to review my own year-end accounts - Whether junior bookkeeping and data-entry roles are genuinely at risk - The hidden limitations I discovered during real-world testing - Why privacy and client confidentiality are now the most important conversations your firm needs to have This isn't theory. This is me showing you what I actually tested ... what worked, what didn't, and what it means for your firm. 👆 Head to the Calendar tab 👆, find the June 3 event, and add it to your calendar. The Zoom link is right there. What's your gut reaction — do you think AI can genuinely replace parts of what accountants do? 👇

Most people sign up for Claude, open the chat, ask a few questions ... and never touch the other 90% of what they're paying for. Sound familiar? I've just released a full walkthrough video that takes you through every Claude feature you need to know ... in the exact order you should learn them. This is actually part of a course inside the AI Academy ... but I wanted to give you a taster of what we do in there. So here it is. We don't just jump into the features. We start with the settings that most people skip ... and they're the ones that make the biggest difference. In the video I walk you through: • The 5 chat settings you should configure before doing anything else (and why custom instructions is the single highest-impact one) • Why the privacy toggle matters when you're handling client data • How to choose between Sonnet, Opus, and Haiku without burning through your usage • All 13 Claude features explained step by step ... from basic chat to Connectors, Projects, Cowork, Skills, Design, and beyond • The additional settings you need when you move to Cowork (folders, permissions, CLAUDE.md, and more) • What makes Live Artifacts, Claude in Chrome, and Claude in Office different from normal chat This is the video I wish I'd had when I first started with Claude. It's 48 minutes, but think of it as your roadmap. You don't need to learn everything at once. Start with the settings, then work through the features one at a time. You'll see the video below 👇 Your Homework I've given you a lot in this video. Now it's your turn. Drop a comment below and tell me three things 👇 Which feature surprised you the most? Which one made you think "I didn't know Claude could do that"? Which feature are you going to try first this week? Not someday. This week. Pick one and commit to it. What questions have you got? If you want to go deeper on any of these features, let me know. I create training on exactly the topics you ask for. Don't just watch and move on. The people who get value from this community are the ones who take action.