AI Consultants: The New Wave or Just a Mirage?

AI agents are stepping into the world of consulting, attempting to replicate the methods of industry giants like McKinsey. Developers have been sharing open-source 'skills', enabling these AI agents to perform tasks traditionally reserved for human consultants. But are these digital consultants genuinely equipped to replace their flesh-and-blood counterparts?

Vercel, an AI startup with a $9 billion valuation, is leading this charge with a library of nearly 90,000 reusable skills. Among them, a standout is the 'mckinsey-consultant' skill, which averages 445 installs a week as of October 2023. Despite its popularity, Arvind Vasudevan, a former McKinsey consultant, argues that these AI agents miss a essential element: the deep Socratic questioning and nuanced conversations that human consultants provide. It's not just about analysis. it's about the context and insights that come from real human interaction.

Companies like PromptQL, however, are already tapping into this market, generating substantial revenue by offering AI-driven analysis tools. They aim to overcome the challenges AI faces by creating a shared layer of understanding within organizations, allowing for continuous learning and adaptation. However, the critical missing piece remains: human judgment and the ability to ask the right questions in complex scenarios.

So, are AI consultants the future? Well, they certainly bring efficiency and can handle repetitive tasks, but replacing the nuanced understanding and judgment that experienced consultants offer still seems a distant goal.