{"id":519454,"date":"2025-09-30T18:39:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T01:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/?p=519454"},"modified":"2025-09-30T18:43:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T01:43:48","slug":"accentures-big-ai-shift-tough-cuts-now-brighter-future-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/accentures-big-ai-shift-tough-cuts-now-brighter-future-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Accenture\u2019s Big AI Shift: Tough Cuts Now, Brighter Future Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333;\">\n    <p>\n        <strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> \n        <em>I personally love to share my learnings, thoughts, and ideas; I get great satisfaction knowing someone has read and benefited from an article. This content is created entirely on my own time and in a personal capacity. The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent the positions or opinions of my employer.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n    <p>\n        In my professional role, I serve as a Workforce Transformation Solutions Principal for \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/work\/learn\/by-service-type-deployment\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Dell Technology Services<\/a>. \n        I am passionate about guiding organizations through complex technology transitions and \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/what-we-do\/workforce-transformation.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Workforce Transformation<\/a>. \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/index.htm\" style=\"color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;\">Learn more at Dell Technologies<\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n    <hr style=\"border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; margin: 12px 0;\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Part of: <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/series-ai-learnings\/\">AI Learning Series Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\">Quick Links:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/resources-for-learning-ai\/\">Resources for Learning AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/keeping-up-with-ai\/\">Keep up with AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/list-of-ai-tools\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"402818\">List of AI Tools<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-template-part\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-md, 1.25rem);line-height:60px;font-style:normal;background-color:#f5a511;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\">Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.35s.be\/jtb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JorgeTechBits  newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\">AI Disclaimer I love exploring new technology, and that includes using AI to help with research and editing! My digital &#8220;team&#8221; includes tools like Google Gemini, Notebook LM, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity.ai, Claude.ai, and others as needed. They help me gather insights and polish content\u2014so you get the best, most up-to-date information possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement&nbsp;of Accenture&#8217;s layoffs of&nbsp;over 11,000 employees&nbsp;was made public&nbsp;on September&nbsp;28, 2025. This&nbsp;move is part&nbsp;of a strategic&nbsp;AI-focused restructuring&nbsp;program aimed&nbsp;at aligning the&nbsp;workforce with&nbsp;the company&#8217;s&nbsp;AI-driven future. CEO Julie Sweet outlined the plan during an earnings call&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/09\/26\/accenture-plans-on-exiting-staff-who-cant-be-reskilled-on-ai.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNBC, 2025-09-26<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Layoffs Happened: Closing the Skills Gap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CEO Julie Sweet has been clear: these changes are about <strong>skills<\/strong>. Accenture is on a mission to become an <em>AI-first<\/em> company, which means it needs a workforce fluent in generative AI, automation, and advanced data science. The firm has already upskilled more than half a million employees in AI fundamentals\u2014a huge investment in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the reality is, not every role can be transitioned. In cases where retraining wasn\u2019t a fit, Accenture made the tough decision to part ways with employees. As <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/09\/26\/accenture-plans-on-exiting-staff-who-cant-be-reskilled-on-ai.html\">CNBC reports<\/a>, the cuts are less about downsizing and more about <strong>making room for a new kind of workforce<\/strong> that is ready to thrive in the age of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accenture Isn\u2019t Alone: A Global Shift in Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Accenture\u2019s move is part of a broader trend reshaping industries worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2025\/09\/27\/accenture-865-million-reinvention-exiting-people-ai-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IBM<\/a> has been steadily pivoting to AI-powered consulting and cloud services, retraining tens of thousands along the way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upskillist.com\/blog\/accenture-layoffs-ai-driven-restructuring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deloitte<\/a> has redesigned roles for consultants, embedding AI into everyday workflows while still facing some strategic cuts in non-AI areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/tech.co\/news\/accenture-layoffs-ai-pivot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft<\/a> has quietly trimmed customer service positions now managed by AI automation, balancing it with big investments in AI research and development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Salesforce reshaped customer support through AI-driven chat and redirected energy into sales and marketing roles that blend human creativity with machine intelligence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-md, 1.25rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519454_eaa58d-09\"><em>The message is clear: AI isn\u2019t just about job losses\u2014it\u2019s about shifting toward <strong>higher-value work<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Long View: Today\u2019s Pain, Tomorrow\u2019s Gain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These restructures are undeniably hard in the moment. But they are ultimately forward-looking. Accenture is reinvesting its savings into innovation, talent acquisition, and AI service delivery. As <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2025\/09\/27\/accenture-865-million-reinvention-exiting-people-ai-skills\/\">Fortune notes<\/a>, this strategy is designed to ensure the company leads the way in AI-powered business transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For employees, it\u2019s an unmistakable signal: adapting to AI is no longer optional. Those who learn new tools and approaches will find opportunities not just to survive but to step into roles that emphasize creativity, problem-solving, strategy, and empathy\u2014the very human strengths that AI can\u2019t replace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bottom Line: A Smarter, AI-Ready Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Accenture\u2019s journey highlights the tough balancing act companies face as they adopt AI. Yes, it involves difficult conversations and job transitions. But with massive retraining efforts and a clear vision for the future, Accenture is showing how to turn disruption into reinvention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For businesses, the takeaway is simple: the leap into AI isn\u2019t just about cost-cutting\u2014it\u2019s about building smarter, more resilient teams. And for workers, the future of work belongs to those who embrace change, adapt to new tools, and lean into distinctly human skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The AI revolution is here, and while the transition may be painful at times, the long-term outlook is filled with possibility. Companies that act boldly, like Accenture, are laying the foundation for growth in a future where humans and machines work side by side to create real value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The announcement&nbsp;of Accenture&#8217;s layoffs of&nbsp;over 11,000 employees&nbsp;was made public&nbsp;on September&nbsp;28, 2025. This&nbsp;move is part&nbsp;of a strategic&nbsp;AI-focused restructuring&nbsp;program aimed&nbsp;at aligning the&nbsp;workforce with&nbsp;the company&#8217;s&nbsp;AI-driven future. CEO Julie Sweet outlined the plan during an earnings call&nbsp;CNBC, 2025-09-26. Why the Layoffs Happened: Closing the Skills Gap CEO Julie Sweet has been clear: these changes are about skills. Accenture is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[441,468],"tags":[471,930,470],"class_list":["post-519454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-talk","category-thoughts-ramblings","tag-ai","tag-ai-series","tag-futureofwork"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":441,"label":"Tech Talk"},{"value":468,"label":"Thoughts and Ramblings"}],"post_tag":[{"value":471,"label":"AI"},{"value":930,"label":"AI Series"},{"value":470,"label":"futureofwork"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/ChairsOutside001.png",573,161,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Jorge Pereira","author_link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/author\/jorge\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":441,"name":"Tech Talk","slug":"tech-talk","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":451,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":678,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":441,"category_count":678,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Tech Talk","category_nicename":"tech-talk","category_parent":0},{"term_id":468,"name":"Thoughts and Ramblings","slug":"thoughts-ramblings","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":478,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":230,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":468,"category_count":230,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Thoughts and Ramblings","category_nicename":"thoughts-ramblings","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":471,"name":"AI","slug":"ai","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":481,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":147,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":930,"name":"AI Series","slug":"ai-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":940,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":152,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":470,"name":"futureofwork","slug":"futureofwork","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":480,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519454"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":519457,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519454\/revisions\/519457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}