Accenture is making artificial intelligence central to its business strategy — and its workforce. CEO Julie Sweet announced that employees who cannot be reskilled on AI will be phased out under a compressed timeline as part of a broader restructuring.

The global consultancy has already reskilled 550,000 workers in the fundamentals of generative AI and now employs 77,000 AI and data professionals, nearly doubling that workforce since 2023. At the same time, the company launched a six-month, $865 million optimization program that includes severance and staff reductions. CFO Angie Park said the program is expected to generate more than $1 billion in savings, which will be reinvested in growth and training while still delivering margin expansion.

Sweet emphasized that “every CEO, board and C-suite recognize that advanced AI is critical to the future,” and positioned Accenture as the go-to partner for companies seeking to become AI-ready. Alongside staff exits, the firm plans to increase headcount in the U.S. and Europe next year, reinforcing AI as its primary growth engine.

Accenture reported $69.7 billion in revenue for the year, up 7% from last year, with Sweet attributing the growth to surging client demand for AI-driven transformation.