AI and the consultant

For years, consultants have built careers on late nights, endless data-crunching, and the sacred art of PowerPoint sorcery.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

Insightful frameworks, breakthrough "aha" moments, and decks so sleek they could pass for digital origami. This was the rhythm of the consulting grind.

Then came ChatGPT.

Now, consultants face a new reality: AI can generate polished insights in less time than it takes to order a latte. Ten seconds in, ChatGPT has drafted your executive summary, crafted a killer SWOT analysis, and probably found a quote from Peter Drucker to make it all sound profound.

So what now? Panic? Update your LinkedIn headline to "Freelance AI Whisperer?" Start a TikTok career doing live selling with free consultation on the side?

Not so fast.

AI isn't the end of consulting. It's the reboot we didn't know we needed. It's bringing consulting back to its roots.

For decades, the value of consultants rested on three pillars:

Being extra hands — or, as some clients call it, "our overpriced temps."

Credibility enhancement — because nothing sells a decision quite like a report from someone in a tailored suit and serious glasses. Now you know why I wear these all the time.

Fresh thinking — the magical ability to repackage what clients already know into something they'll do.

AI, however, is putting severe pressure on all three.

Need data crunched? GPT-4 can do that while you sleep.