Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’ | AI (artificial intelligence)
Accenture has reportedly begun tracking staff use of AI tools and will take this into account when deciding on the best promotions as the consultancy looks to increase the uptake of the technology by its workforce.
The company told senior executives and deputy directors that promotions to leadership roles would require “regular adoption” of AI, according to an internal email seen by the Financial Times.
The consultancy has also started collecting data on weekly logins to AI tools by some senior staff, the FT reported.
Accenture had previously announced that it had trained 550,000 of its 780,000-strong workforce on productive artificial intelligence, and that this figure would be only 30 people in 2022. dissemination of education to all its employees as part of its $1bn (£740m) annual tuition spend.
Among the tools whose use will reportedly be monitored is Accenture’s Artificial Intelligence Refinery. Julie Sweet, chief executive officer, he said before This will “create opportunities for companies to reimagine their processes and operations, explore new ways of working, and scale AI solutions across the organization to help drive continuous change and create value.”
The company’s aggressive push into AI highlights a broader industry trend of using machine learning tools to help companies speed up certain tasks, allowing them to focus other resources elsewhere.
Accenture reported better results than expected in the first quarter of December due to increased demand for its AI-focused services.
The latest move linking the use of AI tools to promotion potential comes just months after the New York-listed company began calling its nearly 800,000 employees “reinventors” in a bid to position itself as a leader in artificial intelligence. The move was criticized by some as an example of corporate jargon.
The reinventor label emerged last June amid a major restructuring at Accenture, in which it consolidated its strategy, consulting, creative, technology and operations divisions into a single unit called “Reinvention Services.”
Sweet told investors in September that the company would “lay off” employees who didn’t know how to use AI in the workplace.
Older and more senior employees at the largest professional services firms are generally seen as more reluctant to incorporate the use of AI tools into their work, while younger and more junior staff appear to be more receptive.
The Dublin-based group has previously said employees who “based on our experience reskilling is not a viable route to the skills we need” will be shown the door.
Accenture announced that it had signed partnerships in December. ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI, and rival Anthropic, which owns the Claude chatbot, are trying to capitalize on growing demand for consulting firm AI services.
Accenture has been contacted for comment.
