PwC’s CEO: Adopt AI or Have No Future at the Firm

Following his appointment as PwC’s US CEO in 2024, Paul Griggs says the company is moving toward an AI-first operating model, with automation set to transform how audit and consulting services are delivered.

The firm plans to convert some of its tax and consulting services into AI-powered tools that clients could access “without a PwC person in the loop”, potentially via a paid annual subscription.

Paul says senior staff “paranoid about being AI-first” are likely to be replaced by others who embrace the technology. He adds that any employee who thinks they can opt out of AI is “not going to be here that long”.

As AI continues to change the professional services model, the firm is making preparations to avoid future disruptions.

The Big Four — Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC — have traditionally hired junior staff to perform administrative tasks, a process that could be affected by AI tools delivering services directly to clients, without the need for additional human involvement.

Direct-to-consumer tools

PwC recently launched PwC One, an AI platform that offers several automated services for clients, including an anomaly detection system, which can detect flaws in a company’s sustainability data. 

The AI-powered platform will provide clients with low-cost access to the firm’s expertise on subjects like mergers and acquisitions, due diligence and tax rules.

Paul says that offering these tools directly to the client means that tax and consulting solutions can be accessed “in the first steps, without a PwC person in the loop”.

PwC has said users will see more services integrated into the PwC One platform in the coming months.

Going forward, the firm states AI integration within its platforms is designed to amplify professional judgement rather than replace it, allowing PwC’s teams to focus more time on strategic insight and making business decisions.

Fundamentally human

Consulting is one of the many industries experts believe will be transformed by the advancement of AI, noting the technology’s ability to automate tasks such as accounting, research and analysing problems within the business.

That said, data suggests that large consulting firms like PwC, Accenture and McKinsey are benefiting from clients seeking help with AI implementation. K2 Consulting Research states that global consulting increased 5.5% in 2025, double the previous year’s growth rate.

Despite concerns over automation and subsequent job cuts, Paul says PwC’s employment strategy will remain firm as a “net acquirer of talent” despite AI changing its working practices. 

In a company post about the future of professional services, he discusses the bedrock of human decision making in the industry, saying: “Our view is straightforward: AI raises the floor. Humans raise the ceiling. 

“Technology can accelerate routine analysis and connect information in powerful ways. But judgment — understanding context, interpreting signals, navigating ambiguity and building trusted relationships — remains fundamentally human.”

An inevitable evolution

AI adoption is increasing across the consulting sector, moving from experimental applications to becoming an operational necessity. 

Discussing the future of AI integration, Raj Abrol, Chief Executive of Galytix, suggests this evolution is inevitable, saying: “AI is here to stay, and the sooner businesses wake up to this fact the better. The technology is set to bring sweeping changes to the way organisations manage risk and decision-making.”

Paul adds: “What is changing now is the pace of the world around us. AI is fundamentally transforming how insight is generated and how decisions get made. 

“PwC One reflects how we are evolving alongside that shift – combining advanced AI with the judgment, experience and trust our clients rely on. Our ambition is simple: to help clients move faster, see further ahead and shape what comes next.”