Consultants Need New Skills as AI Automates Foundational Work
Artificial intelligence has automated the execution layer of consulting. Consultants poised for future success must grasp the new value equation.
Consulting firms that built their business models on junior knowledge work are now replacing it with AI, which performs tasks faster and at a fraction of the cost. AI is taking over data gathering, financial modeling, competitive analysis, and slide production, tasks that previously defined the initial years of a consulting career.
McKinsey's internal AI tool, Lilli, reportedly reduces research and synthesis time by 30 percent. Deloitte notes its Zora AI platform handles complex information processing that previously took junior staff weeks. When AI completes research in 30 minutes, clients are no longer paying for that activity.
The traditional career ladder, where junior analysts performed structured work and received iterative feedback, has been disrupted. AI has automated this foundational work and removed the associated learning mechanism. To thrive in this new era, consultants must more quickly develop direct client experience and judgment.
Senior partners face a similar challenge. They need to supervise, validate, and contextualize AI outputs for clients. The future requires commanding client engagements with superior judgment and meeting heightened expectations.