But the staff threatens to quit.
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One employee called this approach “chilling.”
Accenture has begun to link senior promotions to the adoption of AI, seemingly aimed at encouraging reluctant staff to adopt the technology.
According to internal emails viewed by the company, financial timesa Dublin-based consultancy, has informed senior managers that progress will depend on consistent use of AI tools.
Earlier this month, the New York-listed company began tracking individuals’ weekly logins to certain AI platforms used by senior staff.
The email said integration with the company’s core AI tools will provide visible input into talent reviews ahead of leadership promotion decisions this summer.
The tools being monitored include AI Refinery, which is designed to help clients transform raw AI systems into business applications, and SynOps, which the company describes as a human-machine operating engine that optimizes data and digital processes.
Accenture employs approximately 780,000 people worldwide.
Some employees will be exempt from the new promotion criteria, including those in 12 European countries and those working on contracts with the U.S. federal government.
An Accenture spokesperson confirmed this policy, saying: CNBC The company’s strategy was to position itself as the “reinvention partner of choice” for its customers and become the most customer-centric, AI-enabled workplace possible, the company said.
He confirmed the existence of internal communications, adding, “To most effectively serve our customers, we need to implement the latest tools and technology.”
The move highlights the challenges companies face in persuading employees to integrate AI into their daily work.
This was announced by executives from several major accounting firms and consulting firms. financial times We found it more difficult to convince partners and senior managers to adopt AI tools than our junior colleagues.
One person described the process as “ruthless,” while another characterized the approach as “carrots and sticks.”
One person familiar with the policy, who was not directly affected by the policy, said he would “quit immediately” if it were applied.
They criticized the tools’ usefulness, describing some as “broken slop generators” (referring to AI systems that can produce large amounts of low-quality output).
They said older, more senior people are often more attached to established ways of working and reluctant to try new technology.
The tougher stance on AI adoption comes amid a broader reorganization at Accenture announced in September.
At the time, the company warned that employees who fail to learn new AI-related skills could eventually be fired.
Chief Executive Officer Julie Sweet said on the earnings call that staff across the organization will require extensive “retraining and reorganization.” He added that if retraining is not possible, the company will consider parting ways with some employees in order to hire people with the necessary capabilities.
“Given the skills needed, our number one strategy is upskilling,” he said, adding that the initial investment in AI “is really paying off.”
In a previous comment, CNBCSweet said senior leaders across industries recognize that advanced AI will be central to future growth, but many organizations are not yet ready to effectively implement AI.
Accenture has expanded its network of partnerships to accelerate internal deployment of AI tools. In December, it agreed to a deal with OpenAI to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise to tens of thousands of staff.
The company also partnered with Anthropic to train 30,000 employees on the Claude system.
Most recently, the company acquired London-based startup Faculty to strengthen its ability to help customers “reinvent core and critical business processes” through AI.
Computing says:
If you have to bully people into using an AI system, either the training is bad or the tools are bad.
AI adoption depends on complete transparency. Explain what your product does and why your staff should use it over their current way of working. and please explain how can they do that. Too many companies skip or ignore this important step.
British American Tobacco requires all staff to undergo one day (half day at executive level) of dedicated AI training before accessing the tool, and its success rate shows. CIO Javed Iqbal recently told me that at the end of the training, his staff couldn’t stop talking about the agent they had built, and the level of understanding was one of the highest of any company we’ve talked to recently. tom.
