AI Is the New Computer: Accenture CEO Julie Sweet Warns Employees to Adapt or Fall Behind

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet recently said during a podcast that learning and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is now necessary for employees who want promotions in the company. She also explained that AI has become a core part of how the company works.

She said that at Accenture, AI tools are now basic work tools, just like computers became essential in offices years ago. She said, “No one would have said requiring someone to use a computer is coercion. It’s how the companies were going to get work done. Today, AI at Accenture is how we do work.”

According to her, if employees want to grow in the company, they must learn and use these tools because AI is now how the company gets work done.

Julie Sweet also explained that this change did not happen suddenly. Over the past three years, Accenture has slowly introduced AI tools, trained employees, and made sure the technology is easy to use. Now the company expects workers to use these tools regularly as part of their jobs.

This announcement comes after Accenture laid off around 11,000 employees during an AI-focused restructuring programme. The company said it would retrain employees for AI-related roles, but those who could not adapt or learn the new skills might have to leave.

Accenture has also invested $3 billion over three years to expand AI across the company. Its goal is to build a workforce of about 80,000 AI specialists. Currently, the company has more than 770,000 employees worldwide.

Other big tech companies are also moving in the same direction. For example, Microsoft and Meta Platforms (led by Mark Zuckerberg) have also laid off some employees while hiring new workers with strong AI skills.