You'll use AI and like it too – if you work for PwC. Paul Griggs, US chief executive of the global professional services giant, has made clear there is no room at the corporation for AI skeptics.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Griggs indicated that anyone who believed they had the "opportunity to opt out" of AI is "not going to be here that long," and warned senior staff not "paranoid about being AI-first" will be replaced by others who are more comfortable with the tech.

PwC is also reportedly rethinking its billing model – in an era where AI is expected to automate tasks – potentially shifting from hourly rates to subscription-style access to AI-driven tax and consulting services.

This gung-ho approach from Griggs comes despite research undertaken by PwC, published in January, that indicated more than half of businesses using AI saw little or no benefit.

The survey of 4,454 business leaders across 95 countries found neither increased revenue nor decreased costs from deploying or using AI tools and services in their organization. The Register has asked PwC to comment on its own AI policies for staff.

Deloitte, another professional services biz, found similar results in its "State of AI in the Enterprise" report earlier this year. It said 74 percent of organizations wanted their AI initiatives to grow revenue, but only one in five had seen results.

The glass-half full researchers concluded money isn't everything, and instead AI adoption should be viewed as "achieving strategic differentiation and a lasting competitive edge in the marketplace."

PwC isn't the only consultant taking a more ideological stance on AI. Staff at Accenture received a memo last month telling them to demonstrate "regular adoption" of AI services – with usage tracked – if they want promotions.

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Consultancies, along with many other large corporations, are running AI projects and need to show a financial benefit so employees are being told to get with the program.

Research in February indicated that few businesses have achieved a return on their AI spending due to a lack of investment in staff training and skills development, combined with a shortfall in governance and oversight.

Gartner published a report earlier this month advising firms that buying into AI tools won't necessarily make employees change the way they work, and a certain amount of persuasion is likely necessary.

HR leaders should focus on communication and sensitivity to employee needs, it concluded, instead of rushing to implement business transformation plans that could face resistance and pushback from staff. It seems that message has yet to reach the C-suite. ®

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