PwC Switzerland invests CHF 50 million to expand its AI capabilities

Zurich, 2 November 2023 –  PwC is significantly stepping up its efforts in the field of artificial intelligence (AI): Over the next three years, PwC Switzerland will invest CHF 50 million in its own AI solutions, in staff training and in its AI Centre of Excellence. This investment continues PwC’s long-standing commitment to AI and strengthens the firm’s ability to develop new solutions that are tailored to clients’ needs and technologically advanced.

Pioneer in artificial intelligence
The efforts are complemented by PwC USA’s decision to invest a total of USD 1 billion in AI. Moreover, the PwC network has been committed to AI for years: according to IDC and Forrester, PwC is the world’s leading provider of AI services, as evidenced by outstanding, innovative projects with its clients and within its own organisation.

“Our investment includes the development and application of AI-based solutions within PwC. We also place great emphasis on ensuring that our people receive comprehensive upskilling in the application of AI. At the same time, we are establishing our AI Centre of Excellence, which will bring together our leading experts from different areas to develop new solutions and advise our clients on the application of AI. Through this expansion, we are creating an additional competitive advantage for our clients and support them in finding a responsible approach to AI,” says Andreas Staubli, CEO PwC Switzerland.

The customer and trust are at the centre
The responsible use of AI meets the market need for an ethical, risk-conscious, and socially acceptable use of technology. For this reason, PwC takes a client-centric approach to its generative AI activities, taking into account individual needs and challenges. With this approach, PwC ensures that clients derive the greatest possible benefit from AI implementations without neglecting aspects of data security or ethical and social implications. Comprehensive strategic planning and responsible implementation are essential to avoid undermining society’s trust in the technology.

Generative AI solutions just for PwC
As “client zero”, PwC Switzerland develops the best generative AI activities and AI solutions right away itself to transform its own business areas while demonstrating the effectiveness of its solutions in a real-world environment.
Most recently, PwC launched its generative AI conversation assistant – ChatPwC – for all its business units. With private domain access to Microsoft Azure OpenAI, ChatPwC is a secure conversation assistant tailored specifically to PwC’s needs. In addition, PwC Switzerland has developed the Intelligent Search Assistant. This solution is designed to provide answers for internal business services.
“Our own generative AI activities represent a significant step towards our commitment to drive innovation and transformation. Through the responsible use of AI, we want to make administrative work easier for our employees and give them more time to work on projects,” says Staubli.

Continuous investment in people
PwC not only invests in the continuous development of its people by providing extensive upskilling and resources. It also has a highly specialised AI team thanks to its own consultants, engineers, developers, data scientists, legal experts, and design specialists. Alliances with leading technology providers complement the expertise of this team. These efforts ensure that employees are well equipped to provide the best AI solutions for PwC’s clients.