Consulting firms see AI as a tool that multiplies what their consultants can do, not something that replaces them. They're embedding it into client work to help companies actually implement AI. But research and back-office roles will shrink as AI handles more of that work.
These consulting firms are looking at AI not as a replacement, but as an enhancement or even a force multiplier for their capabilities and the engine for new kinds of opportunities. They're embedding AI into their delivery and reshaping how they serve clients because they know something simple: companies adopting AI still need help making it work. Now, does this mean that they'll need fewer staff to serve their clients? Yes, especially in non-client-facing roles like research that serve the client-facing consultants.
