You may have never thought it necessary to seek out a specialist to guide robots in enhancing your business operations. However, as we step into 2025, this reality is unfolding. It’s imperative to seriously evaluate what your organization truly requires from an AI consultant—or a futurist consultant (a title with many variations in this emerging field)—and how to critically assess potential candidates to distinguish genuine professionals from imposters.
What defines an AI consultant?
Initially, it’s crucial to assess whether you genuinely need to fill this position. Steve Tom, an AI specialist and chief customer officer at Adtalem, actively utilizes AI technologies within his operations. Adtalem integrates this technology across its organizations to prepare future counselors for crisis management scenarios—leveraging an AI-driven “digital human” to simulate client interactions for student training. Tom notes that organizations typically realize it’s time to embrace AI when they encounter a potential or interest but feel uncertain about how to initiate the process.
“That’s when an AI specialist can assist a business in advancing from curiosity to opportunity and ultimately to actionable results,” he remarks.
This sector is burgeoning with possibilities. According to ZipRecruiter, the typical hourly wage for an AI consultant in the U.S. ranges from $42 to $56. Statista indicates that the global market for artificial intelligence is projected to reach $208 billion USD by 2023 and soar to $1.8 trillion USD by 2030. Even if ChatGPT transforms into a rudimentary device in the next few years, an innovative and forward-thinking AI consultant will facilitate the transition into a more advanced future. By 2025, AI is expected to generate approximately 100 million new jobs (although some jobs may be lost along the way, according to various reports).
Per the McKinsey Global Survey, approximately 55% of their participants have integrated some form of AI into their operations. With that in mind, here’s what to consider when selecting an AI consultant to help your organization prepare for an unpredictable future.
Exercise caution with the so-called “experts”
Just as top-tier chicken restaurants seldom proclaim “best chicken in town” with flashy signs, reputable AI consultants avoid vague terms like “expert,” according to Beth Noveck, director of the Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University and a core faculty member at its Institute for Experiential AI. Search for genuine qualifications and hands-on experience rather than individuals merely branding themselves as “experts.” The field is still in its infancy, she emphasizes.
“Be cautious of those claiming expertise—these technologies are burgeoning and continue to evolve. It’s essential not to be intimidated or misled by those asserting their authority in this area, as we are all navigating these developments together,” she states, highlighting that many individuals can also learn by experimenting with AI tools independently.
How to assess an AI consultant: Focus on your challenge to discover the answer
“What issue are you attempting to tackle?” Noveck advises leaders to consider this pivotal question within the expansive landscape of AI technologies. “What knowledge are you seeking? What challenge are you aiming to resolve?” she prompts. “This inquiry is central to any new tool’s adoption.”
Once you have clarity on this point, you will gain insight into the type of consultant you require.
“Failing to do so may lead to a multitude of individuals presenting dubious solutions while masquerading as having the required expertise in AI,” she warns.
Pose process-related inquiries
“When hiring a heart surgeon, for instance, you want someone with ample experience,” Noveck explains. “Be cautious of anyone who claims to possess a crystal ball with definitive answers.” Instead, she encourages you to engage in critical questioning with a thought partner or consultant, such as, “How could these advancements influence my industry? My clients? My workforce?”
This framework allows you to ask potential AI consultants during interviews to outline their process, including the types of questions they would pose to company leaders, enabling you to gauge their methodology and whether it aligns with your own values.
Consider a paid trial assignment
Avoid binding yourself to a long-term partnership without first assessing the consultant’s capabilities. It’s both fair and ethical to compensate them at their usual rate for their time, tailored to the scenario.
“A helpful strategy I’ve found is to request that the individual or prospective partner propose a solution to a potential challenge,” Tom suggests. “This evaluates the depth of their methodology and allows your internal teams to engage in discussion and ask questions during their presentation, which gauges their thoroughness in considering the approach. Moreover, weighing multiple proposals enables you to juxtapose the comprehensiveness and thoughtfulness across the alternatives.”
The finest consultants may defy your expectations
If you inquire what her teenage son does for work, Noveck might catch you off guard, as it’s neither folding pizzas nor babysitting. Instead, he serves as an AI consultant and is thriving in that role. This illustrates that individuals can cultivate their own AI skills, and that some of the most exceptional consultants may not fit the conventional mold of traditional business leaders advertising themselves on LinkedIn.
“He collaborates with a journalist, assisting them with research using tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Bard, which makes his role as a research assistant particularly advantageous,” she adds. “These technologies broaden opportunities. This is why countries such as Finland, Japan, and India provide free AI education to the public to foster economic growth.”
Thus, when considering how to assess and engage an AI consultant, place greater emphasis on personal referrals. Solicit recommendations from fellow leaders, and remain open to various profiles of what an AI consultant might encompass—age, geographical location, and experience may diverge from your standard expectations.
