PwC Cuts Fees Amid AI Efficiency Gains, Signaling Industry Shift

PwC has begun reducing prices on select services as artificial intelligence transforms its operational efficiency, a MOVE that's forcing the consulting industry to rethink traditional billing models. Clients now demand their 'fair share' of cost savings as AI automates tasks that once required days of manual labor.

The shift away from time-based billing toward value pricing reflects AI's dismantling of consulting's pyramid structure. Firms like McKinsey are reallocating human capital to higher-value work while passing efficiency gains to clients—a trend accelerating across professional services.

'We want our fair share of those efficiencies,' clients tell PwC's AI leadership, according to Chief AI Officer Dan Priest. The firm confirms selective price reductions already implemented, though the broader implications suggest permanent disruption to legacy consulting economics.