Ernst & Young Offers $100 Million in Employee Bonuses for ‘Human Skills’ Amid AI Era

One of the world’s largest accounting firms is putting $100 million toward bonuses for employees who can use AI without losing the human skills businesses still value.

Ernst & Young announced on Monday, August 31, that it is investing $100 million in bonuses for employees who “develop future-focused skills, advance the firm’s culture, drive innovation, and deliver exceptional client service.”

EY Americas CEO and U.S. Managing Partner Dante D’Egidio said the investment reflects the firm’s broader strategy.

“This significant investment reinforces our commitment to building the workforce of the future by recognizing the skills and behaviors needed to lead our profession and serve our clients with excellence,” he said in a statement.

The program includes three award categories, recognizing contributions to “learning, experimentation, collaboration and leadership,” actions that drive “meaningful change,” and work that creates “a long-lasting, material impact on the firm.”

Individual awards range from $500 up to $25,000 for teams, the Wall Street Journal reported.

EY said the program is part of its broader push to attract talent who can thrive in a “tech-led, human-powered world.”

The announcement has sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising the renewed focus on human judgment while others questioned the company’s broader workforce strategy.

One person supported the idea, writing, “People have relied too much on AI to do things that humans are better at. These types of rewards are going to help humans retain thinking abilities.”

Others were more skeptical about the program’s timing.

Another added: “EY also laid off 30% of its Regulatory Reporting Finance function in the US alone — this is BS.”

One commenter suggested the initiative could be viewed less generously. “Nice severance disguised as a bonus program,” wrote another.

Others focused on what the program says about the changing value of human skills as AI becomes more common in the workplace. Another wrote: “So, AI adoption made human traits more attractive.”

The announcement also prompted discussion about whether schools and employers should place greater emphasis on critical thinking alongside AI literacy.

Another added: “We’ve officially reached the point where acting human earns a bonus. If employers are rewarding judgment, adaptability and critical thinking, education should take note: teaching students to use AI matters but teaching them to think beyond it may be even more valuable.”

Not everyone was convinced the combination of AI and human judgment represented much of a breakthrough. “Human slop got replaced with AI slop. Now they want human plus AI slop. Interesting,” shared another.

Another commenter took a more sarcastic view of the program, adding: “So they’re going back to rewarding merit-based work. A true revelation…”

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI,” previously warned that AI could cause “massive unemployment,” predicting companies will increasingly turn to AI to cut labor costs, Fortune reported.