Global consulting firm Accenture has told senior staff they must use AI tools regularly to be promoted into leadership roles, CNBC reported on Feb. 19 local time, citing the Financial Times (FT).

An internal Accenture email specified that whether employees use key tools will be a prominent evaluation item in talent discussions.

The policy does not apply to employees in 12 European countries and staff in its U.S. government contracting division.

Accenture also said in September last year it had a restructuring policy under which it could ultimately dismiss employees who do not receive AI retraining. Julie Sweet (줄리 스위트), Accenture's chief executive officer, stressed on an earnings conference call at the time that all employees need to undergo large-scale retraining. Accenture employees who have already completed basic generative AI training total 550,000, more than 70 percent of its 780,000 staff.

Accenture is also strengthening partnerships with AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and Palantir to boost AI capabilities. Sweet said, "Early investment in AI is delivering tangible results," adding, "Helping companies that are still not ready for an AI transition is Accenture's core role."