After 11,000 layoffs, Accenture says use AI at work or else no appraisal for you

Accenture has reportedly informed senior employees that their promotions will now be linked to AI usage. This comes at a time when Microsoft, Google and Meta have given similar notifications as the industry shifts focus to an AI-driven future.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work. And companies want you to get onboard. Accenture has announced that promotions for senior employees will now depend on how much AI they are using at work. The message seems to be clear, those who don’t use AI will be left behind.

As per the Financial Times, the company has informed associate directors and senior managers that promotion to leadership roles would require “regular adoption” of AI tools via an email. That is, if you don’t use AI, you will likely not get promoted.

This comes at a time when Accenture is increasingly shifting focus towards AI. During the India AI Impact Summit, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet discussed the future of companies with AI. She said, “Companies must be willing to reinvent how they operate their processes, how they've been doing work for the last few decades. Companies have to invest to reshape their workforces.”

Accenture previously laid off 11,000 workers, which it believed could not be “reskilled” with AI. The company has spent $2 billion in severance packages in the past 3 years alone.

This is not the first time that a company has given such a clear indication that it wants employees to go all in on AI.

In June 2025, Microsoft told employees that “using AI is no longer optional.” Microsoft executive Julia Liuson had informed managers to consider AI usage in performance evaluation. A few weeks ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly warned senior executives that they should consider leaving the company if they did not believe in its AI plans.