Accenture, NVIDIA boost AI adoption with new business unit

Accenture and NVIDIA have solidified their partnership by creating a new business unit aimed at boosting artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across various industries.

This venture comes as a response to the increasing demand for generative AI, which contributed USD $3 billion to Accenture's bookings in its latest fiscal year.

The partnership involves the creation of the NVIDIA Business Group within Accenture, which focuses on helping businesses build and implement agentic AI capabilities. This is managed through Accenture's AI Refinery that leverages NVIDIA's comprehensive AI stack—including tools like NVIDIA AI Foundry, NVIDIA AI Enterprise and NVIDIA Omniverse. These tools aim to further advancements in process reinvention, AI-powered simulation, and sovereign AI initiatives.

The new business group will involve the training of over 30,000 professionals globally, equipping them with the expertise needed to assist clients in scaling AI solutions within their enterprises. "We are breaking significant new ground with our partnership with NVIDIA," said Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture. "Accenture AI Refinery will create opportunities for companies to reimagine their processes and operations, discover new ways of working, and scale AI solutions across the enterprise."

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, highlighted the transformative potential of AI through this collaboration. "AI will supercharge enterprises to scale innovation at greater speed," he stated. "NVIDIA's platform, Accenture's AI Refinery and our combined expertise will help businesses and nations accelerate this transformation to drive unprecedented productivity and growth."

Agentic AI systems represent a significant evolution in AI technology, distinguished by their ability to perform actions based on user intent. These systems can generate new workflows and take initiatives that might lead to the redefinition of entire processes or business operations.

Accenture and NVIDIA are already collaborating with companies like the Indosat Group to integrate AI solutions into their infrastructure. One of their prominent efforts is the first sovereign AI in Indonesia, aimed at facilitating secure AI deployment while ensuring data governance and regulatory compliance. This initiative initially focuses on the financial services sector, supporting local banks to enhance profitability and operational efficiency.

In addition to collaborating with large enterprises, Accenture plans to debut a NVIDIA NIM Agent Blueprint specifically designed for automating industrial facilities via virtual simulations. This venture will be backed by Accenture's manufacturing company, Eclipse Automation, aiming to expedite design processes and significantly reduce production cycle times.

An essential part of Accenture's strategy is establishing a network of AI Engineering Hubs as part of its Centre for Advanced AI. These hubs will be located in diverse regions, including Singapore, Tokyo, Malaga, and London, enhancing the company's capabilities in handling large-scale operations and managing the challenges associated with AI model inferencing.

Accenture has already started integrating agentic AI into its operations, notably within its marketing division. By employing AI Refinery's autonomous agents, the company aims to streamline marketing campaigns, potentially reducing manual processes by 25-35%, decreasing costs by 6% and increasing speed to market by up to 55%.