Walk into any strategy meeting today and you’ll hear the same words thrown around: AI. Automation. Disruption. Transformation. 

And it’s not just talk. Generative AI has moved from a “cool experiment” to something people actually use daily. It drafts reports. Summarizes markets. Crunches data. Even suggests strategies in seconds. 

Which naturally sparks the big question: 

If AI can do all this, do we really still need consultants? 

The Fear: Will AI Replace Consulting? 

Some argue yes. They compare advisory work to travel agents, a profession quietly sidelined by technology. Why pay for human time if an algorithm can spit out answers faster and cheaper? 

But here’s the problem with that take: consulting has never been just about answers. 

Consulting Was Never Just “Information” 

If you’ve ever worked with a consultant, you know the value isn’t in a single slide deck. It’s in: 

• Understanding context: not just what the data says, but why it matters. 
• Spotting hidden connections: between strategy, people, and systems. 
• Guiding change: through politics, resistance, and human complexity. 

AI is great at patterns. It can tell you what’s happening. 
But it can’t walk into a boardroom, read the mood, and persuade leaders to make the hard calls. 

Data informs decisions. People drive them. 

The Future Isn’t Replacement. It’s a Partnership. 

The real shift isn’t consultants versus AI. It’s consultants with AI. 

Think about it: 

• A consultant preparing a market-entry strategy no longer burns weeks on research. AI pulls insights in minutes. 
• A transformation advisor can test operating models virtually before committing millions. 
• An HR strategist can forecast workforce shifts with precision that once seemed impossible. 

AI handles the heavy lifting. Consultants handle the meaning-making, decision-shaping, and execution. 

Tomorrow’s consultants won’t fear AI. They’ll outperform with it. 

What Machines Still Can’t Do: 

Let’s be clear, AI won’t solve every pain point. 

• Build trust: Clients don’t buy data. They buy judgment they believe in. 
• Lead execution: Strategy on paper is easy. Pushing it through an organization is the hard part. 
• Guide ethics: Sometimes the most efficient option isn’t the right one. Consultants weigh choices against values, brand, and responsibility. 

That human touch? Still non-negotiable. 

A New Kind of Consulting  

At IBU, we don’t see AI as competition. We see it as fuel. 

Our model brings together three things most organizations struggle to align: 

1. Strategy: cutting through noise to chart the right direction. 
2. Digital platforms: applying AI and emerging tech where it creates real business value. 
3. Execution: embedding strategy into people, systems, and day-to-day operations. 

That’s where transformation actually sticks. Not just PowerPoint slides. Real change that drives outcomes. 

The Question That Really Matters 

So maybe the wrong question is “Will AI replace consultants?” 

The better one is: 
What kind of consultants will thrive in an AI-first world? 

The answer? The ones who adapt. The ones who can: 

• Use AI for speed and scale. 
• Layer human judgment on top. 
• Lead change in the messy, political, human reality of business. 

And here’s the kicker: as AI tools become widely available, every company has access to the same tech. What sets them apart isn’t the tools, it’s how they use them. That’s where trusted advisors make all the difference. 

Final Thoughts 

AI is rewriting the rules of work. But it isn’t rewriting the need for advisors. If anything, it’s raising the bar. 

Clients will expect consultants to move faster, bring sharper insights, and deliver measurable results. AI helps us do that. But consultants remain the ones who turn insights into impact. 

The future isn’t advisors or algorithms. 
It’s advisors with algorithms. 

That’s where the most exciting consulting will happen, and it’s exactly where IBU is leading. 

Your turn: 
Do you think AI will replace consultants, or force consulting to evolve into something entirely new? 

For more on how we’re reimagining consulting in the AI era → IBU