Accenture CEO had previously warned that those unable to adapt would be ‘exited’|Michael Gray|CC BY-SA 2.0
Consulting and IT firm Accenture has formalized a policy enforcing senior employees to adopt AI tools or risk promotions and leadership roles.
The company is reportedly tracking weekly logins to AI platforms, including its own AI Refinery tool.
CEO Julie Sweet wants all employees to “retrain and retool” on AI. She had previously warned that those unable to adapt would be “exited.”
Sweet touts that the consultancy is training 550,000 of its 780,000 employees in generative AI—a massive leap from just 30 people in 2022.
Accenture’s business model relies on advising other companies, and AI has been the buzzword at most firms for the past few years. It needs to have a workforce proficient in the technology to serve clients.
It has also invested heavily in AI, committing $1 billion to learning programs and partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic.
Notably, global confidence in AI technology seems shaky. ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Global Talent Barometer, covering 14,000 workers in 19 countries, shows:
- While regular AI usage jumped 13% in 2025, worker confidence in the tech plummeted by 18%.
- Skepticism is most acute among older demographics, with baby boomer confidence dropping 35% and Gen X by 25%.
However, tech CEOs are bullish about the tech. Microsoft’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, argued last week that AI could fully automate most white-collar roles, including lawyers, accountants, and project managers, in 12 to 18 months.