While AI is the most hyped technology of 2023 macroeconomic uncertainty is holding back IT spending generally. Sweet said Accenture saw a big jump in revenues from generative AI projects in the three months to November 30, with $450 million in bookings compared with $300 million over the previous six months. But they were small relative to group sales of $64 billion annually.

She said corporate executives were keen to deploy the technology to better understand data across their organisation or automate more customer service.

"Most companies do not have mature data capabilities, and if you can't use your data, you can't use AI. In three to five years, we expect this to be a big part of our business."

Accenture and other consulting groups have boasted of multibillion-dollar investments in generative AI, including hiring and training staff, hoping for a windfall from deploying the technology to clients worldwide.