Artificial intelligence may eventually lead to fewer entry-level graduate jobs at PwC, global chairman Mohamed Kande told the BBC — even as the firm struggles to hire enough AI engineers.
Kande said recent job cuts at the firm were not caused by AI, noting that PwC currently needs “hundreds and hundreds” of AI specialists but cannot find enough qualified candidates. Still, he acknowledged that the technology is reshaping work across professional services and could change how many junior staff the firm hires in the future.
Kande spoke in Singapore as observers warn that AI tools are beginning to replace tasks traditionally handled by junior consultants and analysts, such as reviewing documents and processing large datasets. Work that once took weeks can now be completed in minutes with advanced models.
PwC typically hires thousands of graduates each year — including 1,300 in the UK and 3,200 in the US last year — but the firm has moved away from its earlier plan to hire 100,000 people over five years. Kande said the strategy no longer fits the current technological landscape.
“When we made the plans to hire that many people, the world looked very, very different,” he said. “Now we have artificial intelligence… it will be a different set of people.”
The company cut more than 5,600 roles globally last year. PwC’s UK leadership has already said graduate recruitment will decline as AI reshapes roles.
Despite this shift, Kande described the AI boom as an opportunity to create new types of jobs, especially in engineering and data-focused fields.
Beyond AI, PwC has seen increased demand for consulting services as companies look for help navigating economic uncertainty tied to President Trump’s expansive tariffs. “It’s been good for us,” Kande said, noting that clients are seeking guidance on how to respond to the evolving global trade environment.
Kande also addressed PwC’s six-month suspension in China last year over its audit of the collapsed property giant Evergrande. Regulators found the firm had failed to flag financial fraud. He said PwC has since overhauled its governance and quality controls and no longer faces restrictions in China.
“My focus has been to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” he said.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.