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Accenture Pulse of Change

The Accenture Pulse of Change is a quarterly C-suite survey probing into how business, talent and technology trends are shaping and driving change. This latest edition is focused on how generative AI will impact business and future work trends.

One thing is clear. C-suite executives believe in the power of generative AI. Nearly all expect generative AI to be transformative for their company and their industry and the vast majority believe that integration of generative AI will allow them to increase their market share.

With the rise of generative AI and other emerging technologies, embracing change is essential for organizations to adapt to the now and prepare for the future. 

What’s changed: technology, talent and business

  • Globally, 94% of C-suite executives surveyed anticipate increasing technology spending in 2024, with 74% planning to increase level of spending with a specific focus on data/AI.
  • Nearly all say generative AI will be transformative but only a third have started investing “significantly.”
  • Six in 10 (63%) say at least half their workers have received AI training but very few (5%) have reached the full workforce.
  • Getting the data strategy right is the top challenges faced when adopting generative AI.

 

Change coming: C-suite leaders weigh in

  • Globally, the C-suite’s top concern going into 2024 is adapting to advancements in technology and innovation such as AI and automation. This is ahead of concerns around cyberattacks and data breaches (55% vs. 48%).
  • As a result, organizations are planning to increase levels of technology spending primarily in data and AI. Over half (51%) are also adopting AI tools and technology to improve cybersecurity.
  • Nearly 9 in 10 of C-suite report using generative AI tools in their professional activities at least once per week. 1 in 4 cite daily usage.
  • Although generative AI training is well underway, executives sense that workers are hesitant to embrace the technology for a variety of reasons including the time it takes to learn new tools (44%). 

About Accenture Pulse of Change

The Pulse of Change probes C-suite executives on the issues and technology that are driving change, how leaders are responding and their perspectives on the future. For the latest edition, Accenture Research conducted a survey of 2,425 C-suite executives across 13 countries and a variety of industries and functions. The survey was fielded in October 2023. The global sample has a margin of error of +/- 2.1%.

Role

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Chief Strategy Officer
  • Chief Innovation Officer 
  • Chief Technology Officer
  • Chief Information Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Chief Supply Chain & Operations  
  • Chief Marketing Officer
  • Chief Sales/Customer Officer
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Chief HR Officer 
  • Chief Data/Analytics Officer

Countries

  • Australia
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom 
  • United States

 

Industries

  • Aerospace and Defense
  • Airline, Travel, Transport
  • Automotive
  • Banking
  • Capital Markets
  • Chemicals
  • Comms + Media
  • Consumer Goods
  • Energy
  • Health 
  • Industrial 
  • Insurance
  • Life Sciences
  • Natural Resources
  • Public Service  
  • Retail
  • Technology
  • Utilities