EY AI Value Realization Office is the firm’s new function designed to centralize artificial intelligence spending and ensure measurable returns, according to company leaders.
The Big Four firm is establishing the office to oversee AI investments, monitor usage, decide which initiatives to expand, and manage how the technology reshapes roles. Dan Diasio, EY’s global consulting AI leader, said the office is expected to be fully operational within a couple of months.
Diasio said AI budgets and benefits cut across IT, finance, sales, HR, and operations, which makes traditional department-based funding ineffective. “If you fund by department, you end up addressing a bunch of use cases inside of each of the functions. And what that often means is that you’re leaving a lot of value on the table,” he said.
Research by EY-Parthenon found that 75% of potential enterprise value from AI comes from horizontal value streams across multiple functions, compared with 25% from projects confined to single departments, Diasio said. He added that the new office will govern the value strategy by assessing not only dollar-for-dollar returns but also whether initiatives are changing business performance. It “will help make sure that funding flows where the biggest opportunities are,” he said.
EY AI Value Realization Office and ‘client zero’
Professional services firms have cast themselves as “client zero,” testing AI on their own people and processes to demonstrate what works for customers. EY has committed significant resources to the effort.
In 2023, the firm said $1.4 billion went toward building the foundation for its EY.ai platform. EY is one of the global professional services firms known collectively as the Big Four.
As AI providers adjust pricing models, firms are under pressure to use the technology efficiently. EY has deployed an “invisible” AI router behind some specialized tools that steers employees to the most suitable model for a given task.
Diasio said the router, introduced in April alongside other governance steps, has helped reduce token consumption by 60%. Clients are also sharpening their focus on savings as the real costs of AI become clearer.
Many early experiments were partially subsidized by providers. Now organizations are asking how to structure themselves as they scale, Diasio said.
In an EY US AI Pulse survey released in July, 98% of 534 senior decision-makers said token spending prompted them to rethink their approach. The survey took place between April and May.
So far, companies have typically funded AI by tightening budgets and reallocating money, Diasio said. He expects that giving AI governance more authority through a dedicated function, such as an AI value realization office, will be a critical next step for many clients.
Most are not creating standalone AI offices yet, but Diasio said he anticipates it will become a formal function over time as organizations plan what they will look like on the other side of adoption. Other technology companies are also grappling with AI’s impact on strategy and leadership, as seen in recent executive changes at OpenAI.
EY likens the new office to past corporate responses to emerging risks and costs. HR departments took shape during the Great Depression to standardize workforce management, and treasury teams grew in the 1970s as currency volatility increased.
The AI value realization function similarly consolidates responsibilities previously spread across finance, technology, and other teams into a strategic center focused on outcomes. Other firms in the sector, such as Atlassian, have also emphasized AI as a key driver of future growth.