The AI shift consulting can’t ignore
AI is reshaping the consulting landscape – not quietly, but radically.
For decades, consulting firms built their value proposition around specialised knowledge, access to proprietary frameworks, and the ability to parachute in teams to tackle complex problems. But AI is democratising insight, accelerating time-to-value, and forcing a redefinition of what clients are really paying for.
The Big Four consulting firms – Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG – long seen as the industry’s powerhouses – now find themselves on the back foot. According to industry expert Alan Paton, much of the Big Four’s core offering – structured, data-heavy work in audit, tax, and advisory – is on track to be automated within three to five years, with up to 50% of roles at risk.
What was once their strength – size, structure, and repeatable processes – is now holding them back.
It’s clear that AI is set to take over much of the core work the Big Four have built their businesses on. While they tinker at the edges, smaller firms are baking it into how they operate from day one. The consulting model is shifting – and the firms that adapt early will be best placed to define what comes next.
The old model isn’t bending – it’s reshaping
For decades, consulting has been built on the “EM + 2” billing model: a senior lead with two junior analysts, working long hours on bespoke deliverables.
The consulting landscape of today has moved on.
Clients today don’t want time – they want outcomes. And increasingly, they no longer need to outsource what they can generate themselves using ChatGPT or a self-service dashboard.
This shift in client expectation isn’t just anecdotal – the numbers tell the same story. An IBM Consulting poll found that 86% of consulting buyers are now actively looking for advisory services that incorporate AI.
The message is clear: the appetite for traditional, time-heavy consulting is evaporating.
AI is transforming how value is created – and delivered
One of the most significant shifts underway in consulting is the move from manual, one-off engagements to structured, scalable models powered by AI.
Instead of reinventing the wheel for each client, firms are starting to codify their expertise – building diagnostics, dashboards, and content engines that deliver consistent value across engagements.
These AI-enabled systems aren’t just faster – they’re clearer, more measurable, and easier to scale. They also unlock new ways of working. When the heavy lifting of research and analysis is handled by machines, consultants are freed up to focus on where they add the most value: strategic thinking, judgement, and client relationships.
It’s this blend of automation and human insight that’s starting to define what modern consulting looks like.
The SME advantage – if they choose to take it
It’s easy to assume the future of consulting will be led by those with the deepest pockets. But the reality is, smaller firms are increasingly seeing a structural advantage.
SMEs aren’t tied to legacy delivery models or layers of internal bureaucracy. They can build with AI from the start – embedding it directly into how they onboard clients, generate insights, and deliver recommendations. And, they can productise their expertise in ways that open up new revenue models, such as subscriptions.
The challenge is mindset, not budget. Many SMEs still default to bespoke projects and hourly billing – habits that limit scalability and slow down delivery. But those willing to rethink the fundamentals have a chance to leapfrog bigger competitors.
What’s happening now isn’t a surface-level update. It’s a full reset of how consulting is designed, priced, and delivered – and it’s favouring the firms that move fast and build smart.
A future defined by speed, structure and systems
The firms that will lead the next chapter of consulting won’t be the ones talking about AI – they’ll be the ones integrating and building with it. They’ll swap one-off wins for scalable, repeatable results.
This isn’t about marginal efficiency gains. It’s about a complete redesign of how value is created and delivered. AI enables consultancies to standardise the best of their thinking, automate the rest, and scale without sacrificing quality. Clients aren’t looking for clever insights – they’re looking for speed, clarity, and outcomes they can act on today.
Consultants aren’t going anywhere – but the firms that fail to evolve might. The future won’t be built by the biggest, the loudest, or even the most experienced. It’ll be built by those who move fast, think in systems, and treat AI not as a tool, but as core infrastructure.
