How AI is Changing the Work Behind the Work

How AI is Changing the Work Behind the Work

When nominations for EPAM Systems’ special pay program reach Larry Solomon’s desk, the case for each name tends to sound the same: this person holds the certifications, that one finished the training.

Solomon, the SVP and chief people officer at EPAM Systems, answers with a question of his own. “Okay, how many hours have they billed to a client?” His question captures how AI is changing EPAM, a company many know for IT outsourcing. EPAM, a software engineering and IT services firm, employs more than 60,000 people, and its clients now ask for more than code. They want process redesign, with AI embedded in how their people work and learn.

“AI is not only about technology,” Solomon said. “You can’t just open up an AI box, and everything works.” Solomon discussed how those changes are affecting everything from recruiting and pricing to the future of HR itself during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference, in conversation with Joseph DiStefano, a staff writer covering business news at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Forward-Deployed Engineer Boom

Few job titles in technology are growing faster than the forward-deployed engineer. Postings for the role rose by more than 1,000% between January and August 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data from Lightcast, as reported by Fortune.

Solomon describes the position as, in most cases, a senior engineer embedded in the customer’s processes, someone who understands technology, knows the client’s industry in depth, has solid change management and strong relationship skills, and “understands how to accelerate transformational solutions for their client to deliver transformational outcomes.” “It’s a hybrid role,” he said.

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Discover how EPAM accelerates AI-native transformation for global enterprises here.

Learn more about the role and advantage of forward-deployed engineers here.