The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a defining narrative across industries, and consulting is no exception. While discussions often gravitate toward client-facing AI solutions, a critical question emerges: are consulting firms integrating AI into their own internal operations in a meaningful way? The answer, increasingly, is yes—and the implications for consultants are significant.
From hype to tangible impact
Leading firms are moving beyond experimentation, embedding AI to redefine internal workflows and boost productivity. This isn't about automating every task, but intelligently augmenting human capabilities. We're seeing AI applied to:
- Automating routine tasks: Think beyond basic data entry. AI tools are streamlining scheduling, generating initial report drafts, summarising lengthy meeting notes, and even crafting preliminary email responses. This frees up consultants from tedious, repetitive work.
- Supercharging research & data analysis: AI-powered platforms can sift through vast datasets, identify nuanced patterns, and synthesise market intelligence at speeds impossible for human teams. This provides richer, faster insights for internal projects and client deliverables.
- Enhancing knowledge management: Firms are deploying internal AI agents that can rapidly access and cross-reference internal knowledge bases, accelerating problem-solving and ensuring consistent application of best practices across engagements.
Major players like EY, PwC, and McKinsey are actively rolling out private GPT-powered platforms and internal AI accelerators, with substantial adoption rates among their workforces, indicating a shift towards ingrained AI-assisted operations.
Redefining the consultant's role
This internal AI adoption isn't about replacing consultants but empowering them. By offloading lower-value, repetitive tasks to AI, consultants can dedicate more time to:
- Strategic thinking: Focusing on complex problem-solving, hypothesis generation, and crafting innovative solutions.
- Client engagement: Deepening relationships, understanding unspoken needs, and navigating the intricate human and political dimensions of client challenges.
- Synthesising and communicating: Transforming AI-generated insights into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations that resonate with senior stakeholders.
The role shifts from data cruncher to strategic advisor, from process manager to orchestrator of insights, making human intuition and advanced communication skills more critical than ever.
Navigating the evolution
As AI becomes an indispensable internal partner, consulting firms must prioritise continuous upskilling, foster a culture of AI literacy, and rigorously address data security and ethical considerations. This strategic integration of AI isn't merely about efficiency gains; it's about building a more agile, insightful, and ultimately, more valuable consulting practice for the future. By embracing AI internally, we ensure our profession remains at the vanguard of innovation, ready to deliver unparalleled value.