Microsoft has announced the rollout of its Copilot 365 AI assistant to around 743,000 employees of Accenture, marking the largest enterprise deployment of the tool to date.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The move is significant for Microsoft, as only about 3% of its over 450 million Microsoft 365 enterprise users currently pay for the $30-per-month Copilot service.
The expansion builds on Accenture’s earlier 2024 plan to deploy Copilot to 300,000 employees, reflecting its aggressive adoption of artificial intelligence. The company has even linked senior promotions to AI usage.
Microsoft is also diversifying its AI offerings by incorporating multiple models, including those from Anthropic, and tools like “Critique,” while reducing reliance on OpenAI after revising its partnership.
Accenture reported strong early results from Copilot use, with 97% of employees saying it helped complete routine tasks up to 15 times faster, and 53% noting significant productivity gains, based on a survey of 200,000 staff.
“Our teams are already doing higher-value work because of it,” CEO Julie Sweet said.
The deal comes amid concerns over AI returns, with Microsoft shares down 12% this year. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found nearly 90% of executives reported no major productivity impact from AI so far.
