The rise of generative AI is fundamentally challenging the core value proposition of top-tier consulting: the arbitrage of scarce consolidated expertise — specialized knowledge, analytical horsepower, and structured problem-solving, billed on-demand by the hour or project. Generative AI now claims to replicate much of the human knowledge and delivery skill set - at a fraction of the cost/time. Does AI break the consulting model and what are the likely scenarios for 2030. Will consulting be as relevant in 2030 as it was in 2020? How will leading consulting firms adapt and deal with risk commoditization, margin compression, and displacement by leaner, AI-native competitors and empowered in-house client teams.
This presentation will explore three scenarios for the state of the consulting industry in 2030: a consolidation world where only the largest firms survive by scaling AI infrastructure, a reinvention world where human judgment and relationship capital become the premium product, and a disruption world where the traditional model collapses and gives way to entirely new advisory structures.