Accenture — one of the world’s largest consulting firms — has announced a novel and controversial policy linking employee promotions to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools within the company. The move is part of a broader push to rapidly embed AI capabilities across its global workforce and position itself as an AI-driven leader in consultancy.
Why Accenture Is Making the Change
Accenture’s leadership, including CEO Julie Sweethas made no secret of the firm’s commitment to AI. As part of its strategy to help clients transform with AI technologies, the company has also accelerated internal adoption. According to reports, Accenture has already trained over 550,000 of its roughly 780,000 employees in generative AI tools — a dramatic increase from just 30 trained staff in 2022.
However, training alone has not been enough to ensure widespread use, especially among senior managers and leadership candidates. To address this, the firm has begun incorporating regular usage of its internal AI platforms as a factor in promotion decisionsparticularly for leadership-level roles such as associate director and above.
How the Policy Works
Under the new system, Accenture will monitor how often senior employees log into and use internal AI tools — such as AI Refinery and other proprietary platforms — on a weekly basis. This usage data will be included in talent discussions and performance evaluations for promotions.
An internal email reportedly sent to senior staff explains that “regular adoption” of AI will be a visible criterion in promotion discussions. While not the sole determinant of advancement, it is now a formal metric alongside traditional performance indicators.
Industry Reaction and Internal Challenges
The decision has sparked mixed reactions. Some employees see it as a forward-thinking alignment of skills with future business needs, while others — particularly among older or more established staff — have expressed frustration, suggesting some internal AI tools are not yet mature or fully effective.
Accenture is not alone in this broader trend; similar efforts are underway across the tech and consulting sectors, where companies increasingly tie performance evaluations or training expectations to AI adoption. However, few firms have explicitly linked promotions to AI usage data as directly as Accenture has.
Strategic Aim: AI-Driven Transformation
Accenture’s policy aligns with its broader transformation strategy — a reorganisation into a unified division dubbed “Reinvention Services” that blends technology, consulting, creative, and operations work under a single AI-centric banner. This evolution is aimed at helping clients navigate digital transformation while reinforcing Accenture’s market positioning.
The approach also reflects Accenture’s belief that future leaders in consulting must be fluent in AI — both in terms of tooling and in how it reshapes client engagement and problem-solving. Tying career progression to real AI adoption embeds that belief directly into the company’s talent development framework.
60-Word Summary
Accenture is now tying promotions — especially for senior managers and leadership roles — to regular use of its internal AI toolstracking weekly log-ins as part of performance evaluations. The policy aims to accelerate AI adoption within the company and reinforce its AI-focused strategy. While intended to future-proof careers, the move has generated mixed reactions among employees.
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