Is AI going to replace consultants?

AI is unlikely to replace consultants wholesale, but it will reshape what good consulting looks like. Routine analysis, slide building and basic research are already being automated, reducing the need for junior staff on some tasks. However, clients still need humans to frame problems, interpret messy context, handle politics, design change programmes and take responsibility for outcomes. The consultants who thrive will be those who use AI to analyse faster, prototype quicker and personalise insights, while focusing their time on relationship-building, decision support and complex judgement. Those who mainly resell generic frameworks without depth are more exposed.