Artificial intelligence threatens traditional billable hours and hiring in consulting

Artificial intelligence is challenging core aspects of the consulting industry, including how firms charge clients and how they hire graduate workers. Because tools and knowledge are becoming more accessible, traditional advisory work that once required days or months can now be done much faster. Firms are struggling to adapt their pricing models as clients demand outcome-based pricing rather than paying for hourly rates and staff numbers. Meanwhile, AI threatens the traditional graduate recruitment pipeline by automating entry-level tasks like research and data analysis.