Deloitte pledges to make AI more accessible

The platform, PairD, developed by Deloitte’s AI Institute, is a Generative AI tool aimed at assisting Deloitte staff with everyday tasks like drafting content, coding, and research. It boasts features for creating project plans, offering project management advice, and suggesting task prioritisation.

After deploying PairD to 75,000 of its staff across Europe and the Middle East, Deloitte is now extending access to Scope, a disability equality charity. Starting in the new year, Scope's 800 employees will benefit from the platform, along with comprehensive training and support from Deloitte. This initiative is especially focused on overcoming challenges faced by those who are not digital natives or have disabilities. It marks the first step in Deloitte’s broader plan to democratise AI access and is part of an ongoing effort to replicate this model with other charities.

Richard Houston, CEO of Deloitte UK, and Deloitte NSE emphasised the importance of equitable AI access: “Generative AI should be available and accessible to everyone and businesses like ours must ensure that the adoption of AI promotes social equality rather than exacerbating existing disparities.

“But it’s not only about access to technology – it’s access to the skills to use it that will really create opportunity to help close the digital divide.

“We want to increase the accessibility of our AI platform and help Scope make full use of PairD to benefit the charity and the people they support.”

Mark Hodgkinson, CEO of Scope, expressed his views on the collaboration: "Nearly one in four people in the UK are disabled, and we have to work together to build a society which is more inclusive and fair for all. Disabled people are often an afterthought in technological advancements, which is why we are pleased to be working with Deloitte to remove these barriers. It’s important that technology is used as a force for good for everyone and we know AI can be a great enabler for disabled people.”

As part of its commitment to closing the digital divide, Deloitte has also been actively involved in donating laptops to schools, charities, and refugee groups and supporting digital scaling for charities through its Deloitte Digital Connect programme.

PairD is a significant part of Deloitte’s investment in analytics and AI, including the Global Generative AI Market Incubator, showcasing the firm's dedication to exploring and harnessing the potential of Generative AI for the betterment of society.

Costi Perricos, Generative AI leader at Deloitte, remarked: “Our Generative AI platform is part of long-term AI investment plans, as we continue to explore the potential that this technology could offer our firm, our clients and wider society.

“A key focus for employers should be on how to use these new tools safely, so that they can be applied correctly and create value.

“As part of our mission to make access to AI more inclusive, we would like to work with Scope to explore how this can benefit underrepresented groups in our society, such as people with physical or mental disabilities.”