Out with the outdated, in with the brand new – Accenture declares AI is ‘mature and delivers worth’
Tech consulting big Accenture will make investments $3 billion over three years to develop its AI workforce to 80,000 folks after it axed 19,000 jobs in March this yr.
Chair and CEO Julie Candy wrote in a Tuesday announcement that the funding is required as a result of “Firms that construct a powerful basis of AI by adopting and scaling it now, the place the know-how is mature and delivers clear worth, will probably be higher positioned.”
Candy’s declaration of AI as “mature” comes lower than a yr after the general public debut of generative AI providers like ChatGPT, and regardless of such instruments commonly producing inaccurate output. The CEO’s declaration was additionally made at a time when copyright and moral points round AI are totally unresolved, and governments are proposing regulation for the tech.
Accenture nonetheless thinks the time is now to double the headcount for its Information & AI unit.
“There’s unprecedented curiosity in all areas of AI, and the substantial funding we’re making in our Information & AI apply will assist our purchasers transfer from curiosity to motion to worth, and in a accountable method with clear enterprise instances,” Candy wrote.
Accenture additionally touted its AI Navigator for Enterprise platform – a software designed to assist purchasers work out how one can use generative AI instruments of their services, and perceive what fashions are simplest for his or her functions. In the meantime, the colossal consultancy’s Middle for Superior AI will conduct analysis and improvement to put money into technological capabilities inside its personal group, in addition to others.
The inheritor to the Andersen Consulting empire plans to create AI accelerator packages for 19 industries that may make use of off-the-shelf fashions.
“Over the following decade, AI will probably be a mega-trend, remodeling industries, firms, and the way in which we stay and work, as generative AI transforms 40 % of all working hours,” Paul Daugherty, group chief govt, Accenture Know-how, predicted in a press release.
“Our expanded Information & AI apply brings collectively the total energy and breadth of Accenture in creating industry-specific options that may assist our purchasers harness AI’s full potential to reshape their technique, know-how, and methods of working, driving innovation and worth responsibly and sooner than ever earlier than.”
The Information & AI group is predicted to double to 80,000 folks – which quantities to a little bit over 10 % of Accenture’s complete workforce, given it says it has 738,000 employees working in over 120 international locations. The choice to increase comes simply three months after the company slashed 19,000 jobs in a spherical of layoffs that largely affected employees working in HR, finance, and authorized. ®
