Consulting's Race to Become AI Native - Business Insider
Consulting's Race to Become AI Native - Business Insider
摘要: Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI
Consulting's race to become AI native
Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI
Polly Thompson
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Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI
Consulting's race to become AI native
Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI
Polly Thompson
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2026-08-22T08:07:01.243Z
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It's a question as old as the industry itself: What does a consultant actually do?
Traditionally, consultants have acted as an external support system, called in to crunch the numbers, trim head count, or identify growth opportunities.
Now, AI is reshaping what clients want from consultants and how work gets done, creating a new job profile that blurs the lines between tech and consulting.
Instead of
generalist teams
producing research and strategy decks, consultants are increasingly expected to provide something tangible: tools, systems, and holistic, ongoing support. The big firms aren't only advising on tech strategy, they're building and implementing it, often through multi-year transformation projects.
To win that work, consulting firms are racing to position themselves as "AI-native."
"The more they're perceived to be a technology firm, the more likely they are to win business," Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source Global, a consulting sector intelligence firm, told Business Insider.
But the transformation raises a key question: Are these companies fundamentally changing what they do, or merely how they describe themselves?
The race to become AI-native
Looking back at
the top firms' actions and rhetoric over the past year makes clear just how central AI has become to the consulting business.
"There is no doubt that our firm is a tech company that delivers now