This appeared last week:
Meet ChatPwC, the custom-built AI tool being rolled out at the firm
Tess Bennett Technology reporter
Feb 6, 2024 – 2.09pm
PwC Australia has given its 8400 partners and staff access to a custom-built virtual assistant – called ChatPwC – that is capable of formatting data, writing code, summarising meetings and documents, and writing emails.
Following a six-month trial with more than 1000 employees, all local PwC staff will have access to the new generative artificial intelligence tool which the firm hopes will boost productivity and the quality of client work.
Tom Pagram, PwC Australia’s artificial intelligence leader, said ChatPwC was powered by a broad range of AI models – including the ones that underpinned ChatGPT – which were trained to complete specific tasks.
“The model we use for tax might be different from the model that we use within strategy consulting,” he said.
“The generative AI landscape is moving so quickly, quite intentionally, we’re not locking ourselves into any one provider or tool.”
Professional services firms are racing to position themselves as leaders in the new field of generative AI, a technology capable of understanding and creating text, which is widely expected to reshape white-collar work.
Strict guidelines
While PwC has not blocked access to outside tools like ChatGPT, the firm has guidelines in place stating that public chatbots should not be used for business purposes or fed any firm or client data.
“We’ve had really clear and important feedback from staff that they want to be equipped with generative AI tools that they can use for work purposes,” Mr Pagram said.
During the pilot, employees and partners used ChatPwC to prepare for client meetings by conducting specialised research on topics ranging from electricity generation to primary education and superannuation.
Mr Pagram said the goal was to connect more of PwC’s data and systems to generative AI, so the virtual assistant could provide insights on a client, industry and any restrictions the firm had around providing services to them.
“The goal is to have one way for people to get answers to their questions from a really broad range of data sources and systems, rather than having to go to eight separate tools to ask a simple question,” he said.
AI output must be reviewed
Before staff can access the tool they must complete a training program and get up to speed on the firm’s AI rules.
The introduction of generative AI tools means firms will need fewer employees to complete the same amount of work and there will be fewer learning opportunities for junior staff to learn the ropes.
Mr Pagram stressed that humans would be ultimately responsible for any work produced using ChatPwC and all AI output must be “reviewed by a suitably qualified expert”.
More here:
The big consulting firms are as focussed of profitability and the bottom line as any organisation you can find and it they are deploying the evolving AI toolsets you know the benefits are real and likely to be sustained.
I see my role from this point is merely to document the rate of progress.
David.
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