Deloitte's UK business paid its equity partners an average of about £1.13 million ($1.5 million) last year, up 7% from the previous year, as demand for artificial intelligence consulting work lifted profits, the firm said.

Revenue at the UK arm rose 2% to about £5.8 billion in the year to May 31, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

Deloitte UK chief executive Darren Graves said in an interview that AI has shifted from being "a tool-level issue to more of a change management topic," with clients focused on AI deployment, AI trustworthiness and cybersecurity.

"We've seen that demand continue to grow and it has driven our performance," he said. Distributable profits rose 14% to £899 million from £789 million a year earlier.

Graves said clients are demanding faster project delivery, but technology costs mean consulting fees have not fallen because of AI. "From a people perspective, the hours required can sometimes be lower," he said. "But the technology itself is expensive."