EY
Big Four network known for AI risk, responsible AI, and technology risk work
Founded 1989 | London, UK | ~400,000 employees
ai-governanceeu-ai-actai-assurancereadiness-assessmentimplementation-support
What is EY?
EY was formed by the 1989 merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young and employs about 400,000 people. Its advisory teams cover responsible AI, AI risk, and compliance programs, and its technology risk leaders have spoken publicly about how far real AI assurance still has to go. That candor is useful for buyers who want an honest view of what can be certified today. Like the rest of the Big Four, it sells implementation as well.
EY works primarily with clients in Financial services, Insurance, Public sector, Energy, Consumer sectors. Its primary differentiator is: AI risk work folded into existing technology risk and controls programs.
EY tech stack and services
EU AI ActNIST AI RMFGDPRAzure
| Service area |
|---|
| AI Governance |
| EU AI Act Classification |
| AI Audit & Assurance |
| Readiness Assessment |
| Implementation After Advice |
EY pricing
Short answer: EY prices its work as follows: engagement fees per scope; rates not published. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-scope assessment | Fixed fee; quoted per scope | One or a few use cases, checked before any build |
| Multi-use-case advisory | Quoted per scope | Several use cases, teams, or systems |
| Audit or certification | Fixed fee per system | An outside check on AI already built |
| Delivery team | Team rate; see pricing model above | Building what the advice recommends |
EY does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
EY pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Ties AI risk to controls frameworks finance teams already use | -Premium fees |
| +Realistic public view on the limits of AI assurance | -Sells delivery alongside advice |
| +Large global bench | -Audit-client independence rules apply |
EY vs alternatives
How EY compares to the other top AI Advisory firms.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KPMG | Regulated firms needing audit-grade AI governance. | Governance and assurance depth, backed by its own ISO/IEC 42001-certified AI management system | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Tensorway | COOs and CFOs wanting a vendor-neutral AI plan. | Two-interview method per use case, a written drop list, and a roadmap another vendor can implement | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| PwC | Multinationals mapping AI Act duties with other EU... | EU AI Act compliance planned alongside DORA, GDPR, and NIS2 in one program | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| appliedAI | German industrial firms seeking neutral AI guidance. | Advice from a German AI ecosystem with a non-profit institute focused on AI Act practice | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Deloitte | Large regulated groups needing documented AI controls. | Regulatory and audit teams beside the AI advisers, with global reach | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Trilateral Research | Public bodies needing rights and ethics assessments. | Fundamental rights and ethics impact assessments from a research-led firm | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| DAIN Studios | Nordic and DACH firms wanting governance they own. | Governance and readiness work designed to be run by the client's own team | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Artefact | Large consumer brands across European markets. | Data governance and AI planning with engineers in the same firm | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Gartner | CIOs and CDOs choosing AI vendors. | Analyst advice on AI vendors and governance with no implementation work to sell | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| TÜV SÜD | Firms wanting an independent AI Act assessment. | Independent testing and certification of AI systems against EU AI Act requirements | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| BABL AI | Companies needing an independent third-party AI audit. | Criteria-based third-party AI audits, separate from any design or build work | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Sia Partners | Utilities and insurers wanting regulatory-minded advice. | Sector regulatory practices applied to AI governance, plus its own Heka.ai tools | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| BearingPoint | European banks pairing AI with regulatory reporting. | European consulting with regulatory technology products from the same group | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| PA Consulting | UK public bodies wanting advice plus delivery. | Advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Zühlke | Swiss and European health and finance firms. | Partner-owned advisory and engineering for regulated health and finance work | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| ML6 | Benelux firms wanting advice from builders. | Use-case discovery from engineers who also handle EU AI Act requirements | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Eticas | Public bodies auditing deployed algorithms. | Independent algorithmic audits that measure bias and accuracy in real use | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Advai | UK financial firms testing AI before launch. | Technical robustness testing, chosen by the FCA as partner for its AI Live Testing pilot | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Futurice | Nordic firms redesigning services around AI. | AI strategy combined with service design and operating-model work | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Knowit | Nordic public authorities wanting a local partner. | Nordic public-sector reach with data governance and AI under one roof | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Saidot | Teams wanting AI inventory software with setup help. | Governance software for AI inventories and risk tracking, integrated with Azure AI | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| West Monroe | US COOs targeting operating-cost gains. | Operations and cost-led AI advice from a partly employee-owned firm | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Elder Research | US agencies wanting a data feasibility check. | Feasibility calls grounded in three decades of hands-on modeling | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Ekimetrics | CFOs who want AI tied to measured returns. | Return-on-investment measurement for marketing and sustainability AI | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Slalom | North American firms wanting local consultants. | Local-office consultants for AI governance and operating models | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Thoughtworks | CTOs judging build-or-buy on AI tooling. | Public Technology Radar and engineering-led build-or-buy advice | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Centric Consulting | Mid-size US firms writing AI usage policies. | Acceptable-use policies and staff adoption programs for generative AI | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| RTS Labs | Small US firms testing one idea cheaply. | The cheapest entry point here, with feasibility tests in place of strategy decks | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Future Processing | European mid-size firms on a modest budget. | AI readiness checks at published Central European rates | 3.7 | Full comparison |
EY FAQ
What is EY?
Big Four network known for AI risk, responsible AI, and technology risk work
How much does EY charge?
Pricing model: engagement fees per scope; rates not published. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does EY use?
EY works with EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, GDPR, Azure. Primary industries served include Financial services, Insurance, Public sector, Energy, Consumer.
Is EY right for enterprise?
Best for: enterprises building AI risk into existing controls. Team size: ~400,000. Key consideration: Premium fees.
What are the best EY alternatives?
The best alternatives to EY depend on your use case. Top options are:
- KPMG: governance and assurance depth, backed by its own ISO/IEC 42001-certified AI management system
- Tensorway: two-interview method per use case, a written drop list, and a roadmap another vendor can implement
- PwC: EU AI Act compliance planned alongside DORA, GDPR, and NIS2 in one program
Compare EY with other AI Advisory firms
EY vs KPMG EY vs Tensorway EY vs PwC EY vs appliedAI EY vs Deloitte EY vs Trilateral Research EY vs DAIN Studios EY vs Artefact EY vs Gartner EY vs TÜV SÜD EY vs BABL AI EY vs Sia Partners EY vs BearingPoint EY vs PA Consulting EY vs Zühlke EY vs ML6 EY vs Eticas EY vs Advai EY vs Futurice EY vs Knowit EY vs Saidot EY vs West Monroe EY vs Elder Research EY vs Ekimetrics EY vs Slalom EY vs Thoughtworks EY vs Centric Consulting EY vs RTS Labs EY vs Future Processing
Verify all details directly with EY before making a decision.