Key Takeaways
- Accenture has laid off more than 11,000 employees over the last three months, as part of a $865 million restructuring program.
- The company plans to train remaining employees on AI as it seeks to capitalize on growing demand for AI services.
- Businesses everywhere continue to turn to AI as a silver bullet, with many failing to develop a proper implementation strategy.
Accenture has laid off more than 11,000 employees in the last three months and warned that staff should expect further layoffs, as part of a massive AI-focused restructuring program. The IT consulting firm revealed the news on Thursday, which is expected to cost around $865 million in severance payments.
Between May and August this year, the company’s headcount fell from around 791,000 to 779,000. The current round of layoffs are expected to last until November, while Accenture plans to train its remaining staff on different AI platforms.
With this news, Accenture becomes the latest company to downsize in favor of automation. Increasingly, businesses are looking to AI as a silver bullet to resolve any economic and workforce woes. However, it’s critical that firms develop a comprehensive strategy before they look to implement the technology.
Accenture Lays Off Thousands of Employees
Accenture, the IT consulting firm that provides services to some of the world’s biggest companies, has laid off more than 11,000 employees in the past three months as it embarks on a wide-ranging restructuring program — with a focus on AI at the center of it.
The company outlined the program, which is expected to cost up to $865 million in severance payments, last week. On a call, Chief Executive Julie Sweet noted: “We are exiting on a compressed timeline, people where reskilling, based on our experience, is not a viable path for the skills we need.”
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It is hoped that the cuts will allow Accenture to expand operating profit margins at its “historic” annual rate, according to the Financial Times. Over the last couple of year, the company has observed a decline in the number of companies tapping its services for short-term projects.
Remaining Employees to Be Trained on AI
The layoffs, which have already led to the departure of more than 11,000 people, form part of a wider pivot towards AI. The company warned its existing workforce that more of them would be asked to leave if they can’t adapt to the new technology.
Alongside this, Accenture plans to train staff on AI systems. According to Sweet: “Every new wave of technology has a time where you have to train and retool. Accenture’s core competency is to do that at scale.”
Over the past six months, Accenture has generated $2.6 billion in revenue for its AI consulting work. It is not surprising, then, that the company is looking to embed the technology even further into its practices.
Businesses Not Effectively Introducing AI to Operations
In 2025, firms everywhere are turning to automation to address business shortcomings. As our own research demonstrates, a staggering 58% of surveyed respondents confirmed that “pressure from competitors” was in fact the primary motivator for implementing AI.
This shows that, for many businesses looking to AI, their actions aren’t necessarily the most well-considered. This is not the right approach to take. As a recent study from Google illustrates, the technology has the potential to act as both “mirror and multiplier,” depending on whether or not your business is properly set up to accommodate it.
A good AI implementation strategy comprises upskilling your employees, making cultural and workflow amendments to make room for the technology, and investing in the best talent to make sure that you’re getting the most out of it. It will be fascinating to follow the impact of AI on Accenture’s fortunes over the coming months.
