AI council launches finance certification in Singapore

The AI Assurance Council has opened examinations in Singapore for its Certified AI in Finance & Accounting credential. The launch reflects survey data on rising AI use in the profession and limited formal training.

The certification is designed to test whether finance and accounting professionals know when to rely on AI output, when to verify it, and when to escalate concerns. Candidates will sit a remotely proctored two-hour exam based on applied scenarios rather than knowledge of individual tools.

Two levels are available. Fundamentals is aimed at finance and accounting professionals who use AI in analysis, close, and reporting. Professional is aimed at senior finance leaders responsible for decisions about how AI is used in their functions.

Each credential is valid for two years and appears on a public register that employers can check. Fees are USD $695 for Fundamentals and USD $895 for Professional, and a video course is included for candidates.

Training gap

The launch follows a series of surveys suggesting AI adoption in finance is outpacing workforce preparation. Research by Chartered Accountants Worldwide and Ipsos, published by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, found that 89% of Singapore accounting professionals expect AI to significantly change how they do their jobs within five years.

The same survey found that 34% said the value accountants provide could be replaced by automated systems. Only 45% of respondents said they had taken part in AI training through their employer, while 51% cited a lack of skills and training as the biggest barrier to AI adoption in the profession.

Another recent marker came from Gartner, which said low AI literacy is now "the most significant barrier" finance leaders must address. The concern comes as AI is increasingly used in work that can feed into forecasts, reconciliations, and disclosures reviewed by auditors, audit committees, and regulators.

Workiva's 2026 survey of 2,272 finance, risk, and sustainability professionals pointed to a similar tension. It found that 84% of executives said they were at least somewhat confident in AI output without human review, yet 26% said internal audits had caught AI errors that reached boards or external audiences.

Regulatory backdrop

The certification launch also comes against Singapore's regulatory backdrop. Proposed guidelines from the Monetary Authority of Singapore on AI risk management would require financial institutions to ensure that their internal expertise matches the AI systems they use.

That focus on oversight has become more prominent as finance teams use AI in work that may ultimately support external reporting or internal control processes. The issue is less about whether AI is present in finance functions than about who is accountable when its output is wrong.

The AI Assurance Council was founded by Danny Heng and Durga Rajesh R, the organisation's Director of Assurance and Technology. According to the organisation, Heng previously worked in finance software sales across Asia Pacific at BlackLine, Thomson Reuters, and Epiq.

In the announcement, Heng linked the new certification to changes he had seen in finance teams as automation spread.

"I've seen both sides of automation in finance. Processes got faster and more accurate, and some of the people who used to do that work were no longer needed," said Danny Heng, Executive Director, AI Assurance Council.

"AI is doing the same thing again, faster and to far more roles. The professionals who stay valuable will be the ones who can look at what AI produces and tell when it's wrong. Right now they have no way to prove that. This certification gives them one."

According to the council, Rajesh came to the issue from an engineering background after building AI agents, retrieval systems, and blockchain infrastructure for regulated financial firms operating under Singapore's technology risk rules. It said that experience shaped its focus on evidence, verification, and documented judgment rather than tool familiarity alone.

The council describes itself as an independent certification body focused on the use of AI in professional work, starting with finance and accounting. It aims to address the absence of a shared standard for deciding when AI-generated work can be relied on, when it should be checked more closely, and when it should be escalated.

Alongside the paid exams, the organisation has also opened a free AI Readiness Check for public use. The short assessment is intended to give finance professionals an initial view of their preparedness to work with AI in their roles.