Global Consulting Firms Pivot to AI-Native Business Models

Global professional services firms are racing to become AI-native as artificial intelligence transforms client demands and internal operations. KPMG, PwC, EY, McKinsey, and Deloitte are shifting their core offerings away from generalist research and strategy decks toward the delivery of tangible tools, systems, and ongoing technical implementation.

This transition is marked by massive hiring surges of technical talent. Ernst & Young has added 61,000 technologists since 2023, while Accenture has added nearly 40,000 AI and data professionals over the last two years. Firms are also restructuring internal hierarchies; Deloitte is replacing traditional titles like analyst and consultant with more specific roles, and other firms are creating new engineering career tracks.

Leadership views on this identity shift vary. KPMG US CEO Tim Walsh explicitly describes the firm as a technology company. In contrast, EY's Errol Gardner views AI as a new tool in the toolbox rather than a fundamental change to the consulting identity. While tech-related services are growing faster than traditional sectors, some analysts warn that rebranding as tech firms could erode the premium pricing typically associated with high-level strategic consulting.