Accenture, a leading global professional services company, has announced plans to expand its operations into the Asia Pacific and Latin America. This move will extend its reach into nine different countries, providing clients with access to artificial intelligence (AI) experts and data.
In 2023, Accenture pledged a $3 billion investment towards data and AI. As per the company's June news release, this investment would encompass an expansion of the firm’s AI and extended data operations, the launch of an AI Navigator for Enterprise platform, and a doubling of the AI talent team to 80,000. The AI Navigator for Enterprise is described as a generative AI-based platform designed to assist clients in decision making, selecting architectural algorithms and models, and navigating their AI journeys.
"Clients today are ready to move beyond proof of concepts and into production to tackle more complex business problems across their value chain. They also recognize that generative AI introduces new, unique risks that need consideration and mitigation. Drawing on our experience of client conversations, existing projects, our rich talent and industry partnerships, our generative AI Studios will provide enterprises with the best ideas and capabilities to shape tailor-made solutions and help them reinvent their business responsibly," stated Leo Framil, CEO of Accenture’s Growth Markets in a January 8 news release announcing the network expansion.
According to a quarterly survey conducted by Accenture among C-suite executives in APAC region, it was revealed that 74% of respondents plan to increase spending on data and AI; furthermore, 63% confirmed that at least half of their workforce has received AI training. However, finding an appropriate data strategy remains a challenge for companies seeking to adopt generative AI.
Prior to this development, Accenture had announced its expansion within North America on November 9th 2023. The company's Innovation Hubs in six locations were made available for clients wishing to learn more about commercial use of generative AI, as stated in the November 2023 press release.
The company's January 8 news release also mentioned that each of the new studios in Asia Pacific and Latin America will specialize in one or more industries. These studios are set to become operational this month, with the exception of those in Argentina and Mexico.