This article is part of the Capgemini Series.
Every Company Is an AI Company
The year is 2026 and, according to their marketing materials, every company on earth is now an AI company. Capgemini is no exception.
The Capgemini website features phrases like "AI-powered transformation," "intelligent automation at scale," and "responsible AI by design." Industry events feature Capgemini AI case studies. Sales decks are packed with AI references.
But talk to Capgemini engineers on the ground, and a different picture emerges.
The Reality Gap
Multiple current and former Capgemini employees across Australia, India, and Europe describe a consistent gap between AI marketing and AI delivery:
The Marketing: - "We have 1,500 AI and data specialists globally" - "Our AI framework delivers 40% efficiency improvements" - "End-to-end AI transformation from strategy to deployment"
The Reality: - Most 'AI specialists' come from rebadged automation or analytics teams - The 'AI framework' is a PowerPoint deck of generalised best practices - Most client AI engagements are pilot projects that never scale
One Capgemini delivery lead told us: "We won an AI contract and had to scramble to find anyone who'd actually built a model. We ended up subcontracting to a four-person startup. The client never knew."
The Pressure to Upskill (On Your Time)
As Capgemini markets AI capabilities it doesn't fully possess, the pressure flows downward to engineers:
- Internal communications urge staff to "embrace the AI opportunity"
- Training is offered β usually on weekends, self-paced, unpaid
- Performance reviews now include AI-readiness criteria
- Engineers who don't demonstrate AI 'engagement' are flagged as development risks
The implicit message: learn AI on your own time or your career progression suffers. The explicit benefit to Capgemini: it can truthfully claim its workforce is "AI-trained" without investing meaningful resources in development.
What AI Work Actually Happens
For the small fraction of Capgemini engagements that involve genuine AI, the work typically falls into three categories:
1. Azure OpenAI Reselling
Capgemini helps clients integrate Azure OpenAI services β essentially productising Microsoft's AI capabilities with a consulting wrap. Value-add is minimal; Capgemini's role is primarily integration, change management, and prompt engineering.
2. Automation Rebranding
Existing RPA (robotic process automation) engagements are rebranded as "intelligent automation" or "AI-powered workflow optimisation." The technology hasn't changed β just the description.
3. Strategic Advisory
Capgemini's consulting arm sells AI readiness assessments and strategy documents. These generate consulting fees without requiring Capgemini to actually build or deploy AI systems.
The Employee Impact
Beyond the ethical and client-impact considerations, Capgemini's AI wash affects employees in measurable ways:
- Resume inflation: Engineers feel forced to exaggerate AI experience to remain competitive, both inside and outside Capgemini
- Skill confusion: Genuine AI/ML practitioners find their expertise diluted by colleagues with 'AI' labels on non-AI work
- Burnout: The expectation to learn AI on personal time adds to existing workload pressure
- Cynicism: Long-tenured employees recognise the pattern β it's the same cloud-washing and digital-washing cycle, renewed with a fresh acronym
The Honest Assessment
Capgemini is not alone in AI washing β it's an industry-wide phenomenon. But Capgemini's specific position β a mid-tier global IT services firm competing with deeper-pocketed rivals β creates unique pressure to overstate capability.
The honest truth: Capgemini can deliver AI projects where the heavy lifting is done by Microsoft, AWS, or Google Cloud. For genuinely proprietary AI or deep ML, Capgemini's Australian practice lacks the talent density to deliver at scale.
If you're a client, ask for specific practitioner names and their background before signing an AI engagement. If you're an employee, develop genuine AI skills β but don't let Capgemini's marketing pressure cost you your work-life balance.
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