PwC Coaches New Tax Associates on AI Tools in US Training Effort

PwC's new training program aims to give early-career recruits hands-on experience integrating artificial intelligence tools into everyday work. The Big Four accounting and advisory firm started piloting AI immersion sessions in October, with a full rollout to new US associates slated for July. The sessions are happening across PwC's tax, assurance, and advisory business. "We truly believe that the role of the new associate will be changing with AI and that their role will become somewhat elevated, and we need to make sure that we're really training them on those skills to work and think differently," said Margaret Burke, the firmwide talent acquisition and development leader for PwC US. Like its competitors, PwC has recently funneled resources into next generation autonomous tools aimed at handling routine tasks solo. The firm said in November it shed about 150 jobs across marketing, human resources, and other US support roles as part of a longer-term effort modernizing its back-office unit, including through using new AI tools. In this week's Talking Tax, Burke and PwC US Tax Leader Krishnan Chandrasekhar sat down with Bloomberg Tax reporter Jorja Siemons to discuss how the AI trainings have gone so far and what skills they hope new employees learn. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.