Google Cloud and Accenture have joined forces to send teams of engineers into businesses to help them better adopt Google’s AI tools and services. The new unit, dubbed Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group, is part of Google’s aggressive push into the increasingly competitive world of forward-deployed engineers or FDEs. Rivals, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and Amazon, have also launched separate business units, betting on the trillion-dollar potential of implementing AI models.

The move underscores the growing commitment of AI companies and hyperscalers to invest billions in GPUs, data centers, and power capacity, despite the current revenue from AI remaining a fraction of those investments. While Google Cloud generated $24.8 billion in the second quarter, a significant portion of which was driven by enterprise AI, the company’s parent, Alphabet, has accumulated $811 billion in purchase commitments and contractual obligations as of June 30. This highlights the challenge of turning these massive investments into tangible returns.

The key to this investment is the belief that enterprises lack the expertise to integrate AI tools and services effectively. Google’s new unit aims to provide the necessary guidance to enterprises, with up to 1,000 of Accenture’s FDEs being trained to work with clients and build custom AI applications on the Gemini Enterprise platform. This move comes as part of Google’s broader strategy to resolve enterprise deployment bottlenecks and catch up to its rivals.

However, the demand for AI services is not guaranteed, as enterprises are struggling to see a return on their AI spending. The FDEs, who possess a unique blend of business acumen and AI expertise, are expected to play a critical role in helping enterprises realise the potential of AI.