Tech consulting giant Accenture is restructuring its global workforce to align with its growing focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The company announced that employees who cannot reskill for AI-related roles will be phased out, while major investments will be directed toward upskilling existing staff.
Speaking during an earnings call, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet emphasized that advanced AI is now “a part of everything we do,” and that large-scale retraining is crucial for the company’s future. “We are investing heavily in our reinventors — reskilling is our number-one strategy,” Sweet said, adding that employees unable to transition into AI-related roles would be “exited on a compression timeline.”
Accenture has already reskilled 550,000 employees on generative AI fundamentals and has launched a six-month $865 million business optimization program. The initiative includes severance costs and headcount reduction measures but is expected to save over $1 billion, which the company plans to reinvest in talent and growth.
Despite the layoffs, Accenture continues to expand its AI capabilities, boasting 77,000 AI and data professionals in 2025, nearly double the 40,000 employed in 2023. The firm is also hiring across key markets including the U.S. and Europe, aiming to boost headcount in the coming fiscal year.
Accenture reported $69.7 billion in revenue for 2025, a 7% year-on-year growth, which Sweet attributed to strong demand for enterprise AI adoption. “Our early AI investments are paying off,” she told CNBC, adding that more companies are eager to integrate AI but are still in the early stages of readiness.