By Leo Marchandon and Coralie Lamarque<\/p>\n
(REUTERS), May 27 (Rtrs) – Capgemini on Thursday said artificial intelligence<\/a> was opening access to client spending \u200cbeyond traditional information technology budgets, as the French technology services \u200cgroup sought to ease investor concerns that the technology could disrupt its business model.<\/p>\n CEO \u200bAiman Ezzat told the company’s Capital Markets Day that clients were increasingly treating artificial intelligence as a broader operating change rather than a standard IT upgrade, creating openings across business functions.<\/p>\n “Now the net result is a \u200cmore resilient, more diversified \u2060Capgemini, one with stronger client intimacy,” Ezzat said at the event.<\/p>\n The comments addressed a key investor concern that \u2060artificial intelligence could reduce demand for outside technology contractors by automating coding and other services. Capgemini argued the technology was instead expanding the scope of \u200bwork \u200bit could win from clients.<\/p>\n That broader \u200bpush was also visible in \u200cthe group’s sales pipeline.<\/p>\n “We’ve seen an explosion of our business opportunities over the last few months. And our pipeline of business opportunities already exceeds $12 billion,” Chief Technology Officer Franck Greverie said at the event.<\/p>\n