EY vs KPMG

Humanoid Robots: Race for Factory Floor Still Open

At the invest.austria conference 2026, industry experts discussed the state of humanoid robotics in industrial applications. Panelists agreed that while the technology is advanced, many pilot projects fail due to unrealistic expectations and lack of a clear business case. Nikolaus Keuth of EY highlighted a "graveyard of pilot projects" and the need for use-case clusters. Majdoline Wahbi of Kiosmo noted that Europe lags in research-to-startup conversion, with only 15% of researchers founding companies compared to 45% in the US. Christian Tauber of NEOALP emphasized that the challenge now lies in robotic skills and data collection, not hardware. Christopher Polligkeit of Plug and Play stressed the importance of addressing labor shortages. The consensus was that Europe needs a stronger pipeline from research to industrial practice to win the race.

• The invest.austria conference 2026 took place on Wednesday with a panel on Robotics & Industrial AI.
• EY Senior Manager Nikolaus Keuth mentioned a 'large graveyard of pilot projects' in humanoid robotics.
• Majdoline Wahbi of Kiosmo stated that only 15% of European researchers found companies, versus 45% in the US.

EY Wins BMW Audit Mandate Starting 2029

The article reports that EY has won the prestigious audit mandate for BMW, effective from 2029. This marks the second major DAX mandate for the former Wirecard auditor after its ban expired, following a similar win at Allianz. The content is paywalled, so only limited details are available. The news is significant for the professional services industry, indicating EY's comeback in the German market. However, detailed information about the contract terms, duration, or implications for other auditors is not provided due to the paywall.

EY Survey: Half of German CEOs See AI Skills Gap

According to the EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey, 53% of German CEOs fear their companies are not developing AI skills fast enough, the highest level of agreement (21%) among surveyed countries. Globally, 44% of CEOs cite economic uncertainty as a top concern, followed by cyber risks (40%) and technological change including AI (34%). German CEOs prioritize process optimization (62%) over AI applications (48%) for productivity. 24% of German companies cannot reliably assess AI costs and ROI, while only 18% have real-time cost visibility. On average, German companies spend 0.9% of revenue on AI, with 88% expecting increased spending on generative AI over the next three years. EY recommends linking financial responsibility for AI more closely to its economic benefits.

• 53% of German CEOs fear AI skills gap, highest in Europe.
• 24% of German companies cannot reliably assess AI costs and ROI.
• German companies spend average 0.9% of revenue on AI.

KPMG CEO Outlook 2026: German CEOs More Optimistic

According to KPMG's CEO Outlook 2026, 86% of German CEOs expect positive business development over the next three years, up from 72% last year. Over two-thirds anticipate growth of at least 2.5% for their own company. AI investments are a top priority for 77% of CEOs, with 94% expecting returns within three years. However, 43% anticipate AI-related job cuts. M&A activity is also a focus, with 90% considering acquisitions. Key risks include regulatory requirements (30%) and geopolitical instability (29%). The survey included 1,400 CEOs globally, with 125 from Germany, and was conducted between August and September 2026.

• 86% of German CEOs expect positive business growth over the next three years, up from 72% last year.
• 77% of German CEOs rank AI as a top investment priority, up from 68% the previous year.
• 94% of German CEOs expect a return on AI investments within three years.

Former KPMG CLO Mike Mather Joins Yoodli as Chief Learning Advisor

Yoodli, the AI platform for human skills, announced that Mike Mather, former Chief Learning Officer at KPMG US, has joined as Chief Learning Advisor. Mather will work with Yoodli customers and product teams to help organizations prepare their workforce for the AI era. He brings extensive experience from KPMG, EY, IBM, and PwC, where he advised Fortune 100 companies on HR and learning transformation. Yoodli is used by major firms like Google, Databricks, FranklinCovey, Korn Ferry, and Snowflake for AI training and coaching. Mather aims to help learning leaders demonstrate measurable behavior change and real business impact.

• Mike Mather, former Chief Learning Officer at KPMG US, joined Yoodli as Chief Learning Advisor.
• Mather served as KPMG's CLO from 2023 to September 2026.
• Yoodli is used by Google, Databricks, FranklinCovey, Korn Ferry, and Snowflake.

AI Pressure on Hourly Expertise Firms

Egan-Jones released a commentary analyzing how advances in artificial intelligence could compress margins at professional services firms that sell expertise by the hour, including audit, consulting, law, and engineering. The report highlights that small teams using AI can match the output of large practices, leading to significant price declines. It cites KPMG's 14% fee cut after client pressure as an example. The commentary also discusses the Model Context Protocol as an open standard that reduces the importance of software interfaces, eroding pricing power for legacy software and data providers. In private markets, AI enables startups to scale faster with less capital, compressing venture returns, which many limited partners have not priced in. Job losses among screen-based workers are expected to exert short-term downward pressure on housing prices, despite long-term urban land value. The commentary provides a framework for investors and risk managers.

• Egan-Jones released a commentary on AI's impact on hourly expertise firms.
• KPMG was pressured to cut fees by 14% due to AI savings.
• Model Context Protocol is cited as eroding software interface importance.