By Polly Thompson
Publication Date: 2026-01-31 11:10:00
For decades, the path to success in the Big Four was clear, if lackluster.
Previously, juniors struggled with time-consuming, repetitive tasks such as writing documentation and slide sets, data entry, reconciliations and quality checks.
Through the assignments, they learned essential skills and the thinking behind the work that they would later lead as directors and partners.
Agentic AI is changing that. Big Four executives say agents will soon take over the brunt of the work, freeing up-and-coming talent to focus on strategic work.
The change presents new challenges for young professionals and talent managers: How can they develop the deep understanding that traditionally comes from years of repetition when they skip the grunt work?
