Accenture, the IT consulting firm, has announced a significant investment of $3 billion over three years into its data and AI practice. This investment aims to double the number of employees working with cutting-edge technologies such as AI within the company. Accenture plans to have 80,000 people dedicated to AI by hiring new talent, acquiring other companies, and providing training to existing employees. The investment is intended to support companies across 19 different industries.
This move by Accenture highlights the growing trend among companies to enhance their offerings with generative AI, a technology that is expected to revolutionize various job roles according to industry leaders like Microsoft and Alphabet. Salesforce recently made a similar push by doubling its venture capital fund for generative AI startups and launching an AI Cloud service, consolidating its AI-powered products in one comprehensive offering to attract enterprises.
Accenture’s investment in AI comes after a round of layoffs in March, when the company had to let go of approximately 19,000 jobs due to the economic downturn caused by high inflation and rising interest rates. In addition to the investment, Accenture has also introduced a tool called the “AI Navigator for Enterprise” to guide businesses on effectively leveraging AI technology.
