The Obelisk model is the Big Four’s strategic answer to AI-driven collapse of junior leverage. Instead of preserving the traditional pyramid, they are intentionally compressing the base and betting that automation plus a thinner generalist layer will preserve throughput at scale.
This model assumes AI can replace the bulk of junior labor without compromising volume or delivery quality. It is an efficiency-first architecture designed for firms whose competitive advantage is breadth, operational scale, and enterprise program delivery.
AI Curators — validating and refining AI-generated output
Entry-level hiring shrinks by 50–70 percent versus the traditional pyramid. The firm still has layers, but the “base” is now a small group of technically capable curators rather than a large pool of analysts and associates.
The Thesis
AI replaces the bulk of junior work. Fewer, more capable generalists handle what remains.
How It Works
AI handles the data work Market research, structured analysis, synthesis, slide production.
The result is the same output with fewer humans. This redistributes value toward senior layers and compresses entry-level demand.
Implications
Key Characteristics
Dramatic cuts to junior hiring (50–70 percent)
Junior job = “AI output curator,” not traditional analyst
Middle layers survive but slim down
Senior layer remains unchanged or expands
Competitive Positioning
The Obelisk model competes on efficiency and scale. It is optimized for large programs, regulated industries, and enterprise execution where workflow reliability and standardized delivery matter more than bespoke insights.
This is a fundamental shift in the talent DNA of the Big Four.
Who’s Betting on This
PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG Examples:
UK grad hiring down ~50%+ for 2025
Public announcements about hiring “more engineers, fewer generalists”
Significant investment in internal AI automation platforms
The Obelisk aligns with their existing economics: operational scale, standardized delivery, cost arbitrage, and global project footprint.
Core Vulnerability: The Talent Pipeline Problem
The Obelisk solves today’s cost pressure but creates tomorrow’s leadership crisis.
If fewer juniors enter the system — and those who do focus on curation rather than full-stack consulting work — then where do future partners come from?
This is the central structural trade-off:
The Obelisk is efficient in the short term.
It risks eroding institutional capability in the long term.
A compressed base leads inevitably to a compressed future senior layer unless new pathways are created.
The Obelisk Bet
The Big Four are making a calculated decision:
AI productivity gains are real enough to justify cutting the base immediately.
The risk of hollowing out the talent factory is acceptable in exchange for cost efficiency and resilience today.
The Obelisk is not an incremental tweak to the pyramid. It is a new architecture built on the assumption that firms can train future leaders without the traditional apprenticeship ladder.
Whether this assumption holds will determine whether the model remains viable or creates a structural leadership vacuum.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
