EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
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EY has embraced self-disruption, driving ambitions for responsible AI advancement. At EY, we are taking clients from strategy to solution seamlessly, sustainably, responsibly.
In brief
- EY took a self-disrupting ‘client zero’ approach to its AI driven transformation to maximise its benefits for clients.
- Transformation efforts were guided at all times by EY’s responsible AI framework for the ethical development, deployment and governance of AI.
- The programme was firmly grounded on a human-centred approach that enabled the workforce to collaborate seamlessly with AI.
In an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered era, organisations stand at the precipice of unprecedented transformation. Innovation must be deeply embedded within the organisation’s core, fostering a culture that values foresight and adaptability. As organisations transform, their impact will extend beyond internal reconfigurations, influencing industries at large and society as a whole. Organisations recognise that embracing change is not merely an option but a fundamental imperative for thriving in a future that is AI driven. AI is accelerating and change won’t wait.
EY has leveraged the learnings and insights gained through its own AI-driven transformation to create solutions designed to help clients take a more strategic, collaborative, ethical and value creating approach to their AI integration journeys.
The EY AI transformation began with a recognition that self-disruption is a prerequisite for success. If enterprises are to navigate the AI-driven future and successfully transform their organisations, they will need to initiate change from within. EY responded swiftly to the advancing AI disruption and allocated an initial US$1.4 billion investment to an extensive transformation programme¹ with the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s leading AI-powered professional services organisation.
From the very outset, it was decided that the transformation programme should not be solely internally focused and that it must be capable of delivering practical benefits to clients seeking to integrate AI into their operations. The approach taken was, therefore, to treat the organisation as a client to make the learnings and insights gained during the programme transferrable to other enterprises exploring AI transformation.
That “Client Zero” approach facilitated testing of AI deployments to determine the specific applications where the technology could have the greatest effect, how it can be integrated into existing infrastructures, and how it impacts information security and data privacy policies.
Facing rapid market evolution and the arrival of groundbreaking technologies like ChatGPT, the challenge was not to merely react to developments but to assess and refine the strategy thoughtfully, ensuring that every step was taken with the goal of building lasting confidence in AI and empowering responsible transformation.
The transformation programme began with the integration of AI into the core business strategy with ethical governance to promote a humans-at-the-centre approach.
Ambitious goals were set to drive AI transformation across the three key areas of:
These objectives were designed to deliver long-term value and growth whilst also addressing the needs of clients and the societal impact of the technology.
In meeting these goals, the transformation team focused on the six key areas of strategy, people, technology, governance, clients and society.
Building responsible AI frameworks
The commitment to responsible AI was absolutely critical. EY’s responsible AI framework is central to the organisation’s AI journey and is designed to guide the ethical development, deployment and governance of AI technologies within the firm. The primary ethos is to ensure AI is used ethically and doing the right thing for the right purpose. The profound impact of AI necessitates dedication to preserving public confidence through well-defined safeguards, policies and responsible development. EY’s transformation efforts demonstrate that responsible, practical and strategic AI applications can lead to a more equitable and sustainable future.
During the transformation programme, AI use cases were mapped against business goals and the entire value chain with workflows and operations reimagined around AI. This approach mitigated the risk of launching piecemeal AI initiatives that might fail to deliver anticipated value or of wasting resources on low-impact projects that could be stalled or abandoned in the short term.
AI was centralised to streamline firm-wide technology consumption, foster the integration of innovative solutions, and encourage responsible exploration. Data and systems integration facilitated robust data governance in alignment with the EY responsible AI framework.
Humans at the centre
To prepare the workforce for an AI-driven future, a human-centred, transparent approach to transformation was adopted to foster AI literacy, drive consistent integration into daily workflows, and allay employee fears and reservations in relation to the technology. Skills and knowledge gaps were identified and closed through targeted upskilling
Putting humans at the centre of the transformation has resulted in a number of remarkable achievements across the organisation, with 83% of the EY workforce completing foundational AI learning.
More than 115,000 EY Badges in AI have been either completed or initiated, along with more than 300 EY degrees awarded in partnership with Hult International Business School (including the EY Tech MBA, EY Masters in Sustainability and EY Masters in Business Analytics), reflecting a very significant investment in upskilling.
Delivering for clients
Informed by the Client Zero experience, EY developed and launched EY.ai, a unifying platform that combines EY’s vast experience and leading-edge capabilities. The platform leverages seamlessly connected AI capabilities to help organisations realise their own AI-enabled transformation.
The methodology used in EY’s organisation-wide transformation process has been formalised to create solutions that can help clients take the next right step.
These include the EY.ai Maturity Model, EY.ai Value Accelerator, the Responsible AI framework and EY.ai Confidence Index, and the EY.ai Academy for Industries.
These solutions are designed to guide clients toward a strategic, collaborative, and ethical AI integration. Initially, they pinpoint areas within the value chain where AI deployment can lead to measurable value creation. Next, they ensure that AI models are applied in alignment with EY's principles of responsible AI through verification and ongoing oversight. Finally, the solutions include bespoke AI training for different industries, aimed at enhancing the skills of the workforce. This multifaceted approach not only drives technology adoption, but also instils a deeper trust in AI applications.
EY GenAI capabilities ecosystem
EY has also launched its own ecosystem of GenAI capabilities, EY.ai EYQ. Some of the key capabilities of EYQ include versatile agents and conversational assistants built on EY knowledge, collaborative workspaces, integrated prompt management, and the incubation of experimental AI projects. EYQ is powered by EY Fabric, a foundational technology platform that centralises reusable technology, data, and AI assets to empower the EY workforce with advanced AI tools.
More than 1,000 GenAI proofs of concept (POCs), several of which are agentic AI, are currently in development using EYQ, and over 850 Azure OpenAI instances have been supported. The success of EY’s approach to upskilling is evidenced by the high user adoption rate of EY.ai EYQ, which now stands at over 81%.
Contributing to a more equitable future
In the pursuit to use AI for good, EY teams engaged in global AI consultations with over 100 different organisations and made contributions to the G7 Principles & Code of Conduct and the EU AI Act. In addition, the establishment of the EY.ai Global AI Advisory Council, comprising 25 globally diverse industry and civil society leaders, serves as a strategic sounding board for the organisation. This council plays a crucial role as EY navigates the challenges of extensive AI deployments and the rapid pace of technological advancement, ensuring that its AI initiatives contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.
The full potential of AI can only be realised if it remains human centric. The balanced approach taken to AI transformation will allow EY to harness the technology’s power while maintaining the confidence and values needed for sustainable progress. That approach is based on the belief that AI transformation is a collective endeavour and all organisations share a role in helping drive meaningful change at a societal level. EY remains committed to playing its role in advancing a new era of responsible AI that makes the world a better place for everyone.
Summary
EY took a human-centred, self-disrupting and ethically driven approach to its AI transformation journey. By treating itself as a client, EY was able to formalise the learnings and insights gained during the programme to deliver solutions to enable clients to achieve their AI transformation objectives. EY recognises that it’s time to get beyond talk. It’s time for action.
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