If there’s any sector that is primed to lead the charge in adopting new technology, it’s management consulting. While other industries are still dipping a toe in the AI-pools, our report, Setting the Pace: How Management Consultants are Leading the GenAI Revolution shows that a staggering 80% of management consultants are already embracing these tools in their daily work. But it’s not enough to embrace the current technology; the industry needs to keep looking to the future.
At LexisNexis, we understand how important it is for management consultants to keep pace with the rapidly changing innovation of AI technology. By exploring the current state of GenAI adoption in management consulting, we can dig deeper into what’s possible when GenAI is deeply and ethically embedded into professional workflows and set the stage for future advances and industry-leading transformation in management consulting and beyond.
The Current Landscape
Ever since generative AI began to take over the conversation about the future of work, consulting firms have been at the forefront of the change. Having moved far past the experimentation stage, management consultants are demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of generative AI’s potential to transform the world of professional services.
At the same time, there is a general understanding that keeping up with innovation is not enough. The technology needs to be adopted in ways that are ethical and responsible.
Our research provided us a look into three key insights that are indicative of the current state of the industry.
Enthusiasm for AI Adoption Remains High
Technology has always been an important part of management consulting because creativity is necessary to provide clients with the support they need to lead their fields.
In fact, 92% of survey respondents agree that technology is very important to their organisation’s success. This includes 91% of respondents who are open to using generative AI in their daily workflows, particularly to take care of data entry or other tedious tasks.
Many consulting leaders have recognised this enthusiasm, leading to more investment in AI tools than other sectors. Compared to other sectors, 42% of management consultants have received some advanced instruction in generative AI—just 15% in other industries. This training allows individuals to experience how AI tools can facilitate job performance, leading to greater productivity, more innovation, and higher profitability.
The success and excitement for AI implementation in management consulting can serve as a model for other industries. Company leaders must capitalise on this energy and provide the training and resources to guide their teams into the next wave of work.
Time Savings and Efficiency Are Worth the Investment
Chief among the reasons for continued enthusiasm among management consultants is the time savings and efficiency that come with using generative AI.
On average, 56% of management consultants see 3–4 hours of daily time savings by using AI. This isn’t just about incremental efficiency—it’s a structural shift in how value is created and delivered. Consulting firms must redesign delivery models to capitalise on it.
By opening up time previously dedicated to routine tasks, consultants can focus on skill development and high-level, creative work, leading to greater job satisfaction.
AI Risks Remain a Concern
Despite increased training—70% of firms conduct AI training at least quarterly—consultants remain cautious about risks associated with AI, particularly around transparency, data security, and ethics.
With 58% of respondents citing privacy and security issues as key barriers to AI adoption, leaders must invest in solutions that address these concerns and build trust with both clients and employees.
Safeguards and training are essential to ensure AI is used as an aid, not a replacement.
The Next Wave of AI Adoption for Management Consultants
AI technology is evolving rapidly, providing more opportunities to optimise the work of management consultants. Taking the current landscape into account, let’s explore what’s next.
AI Training Will Unlock Innovation
Employees recognise the need to develop new capabilities to keep pace with technological advancements—92% rate this as a high priority. Within two years, AI fluency will become as essential as data literacy and Excel once were.
Next-generation AI training must integrate human judgement with AI insights. This will empower consultants to use AI strategically and responsibly, enhancing decision-making.
AI training can also democratise opportunity, enabling those with creative thinking skills to thrive in previously inaccessible roles. Combined with 3–4 hours of saved time per day, this creates space for more diverse perspectives, deeper insights, and creative client solutions.
Standardization Will Build Trust
A lack of standardisation across the industry presents a reputational risk. One respondent noted, “If everyone handles it differently, how will we know what the standard is?”
Firms that lead in AI governance and transparency will gain a competitive edge. Regular audits, responsible data practices, and consistency in application are essential to building client confidence and ensuring reliable AI implementation.
What’s Possible When AI Is Deeply and Responsibly Embedded?
The future of AI lies in specialised platforms, not generic large models. Nexis+ AI is one such tool leading the way.
With powerful search capabilities, Nexis+ AI enables conversation-based searching across the platform, expediting data discovery, document analysis, report synthesis, and news summarisation. It's backed by the industry’s largest genAI-approved news dataset.
This tool empowers users to extract business insights faster and with greater accuracy, while respecting the integrity of both publisher and user data.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the human element. The future of consulting relies on the synergy between powerful, ethical AI tools and innovative, well-trained professionals. Consulting firms need tools that are both powerful and principled—consulting firms need Nexis+ AI.
To take a deeper look at how generative AI is shaping management consulting, download our “Setting the Pace” report now.