A recent Gartner Hype Cycle for Artificial Intelligence places many AI applications, including composite AI, at the peak of inflated expectations. This suggests that while these technologies hold promise, they are currently overhyped and may not deliver on their perceived potential in the short term. Furthermore, a McKinsey survey revealed that despite increased AI adoption, only a small percentage of companies are achieving significant performance improvements. This disparity underscores the gap between the hype and the reality of AI's impact.
Within consulting, the allure of AI is particularly strong. The promise of automating tasks, improving efficiency, and gaining a competitive edge has led to a rush to embrace AI-powered tools and platforms. However, the proliferation of generic AI tools and platforms is creating layers of "digital vanilla” where differentiation becomes increasingly difficult, and hourly rates face downward pressure.
Enter “AI Slop” – the flood of low-quality, AI-generated content online is further eroding the value and trustworthiness surrounding consulting services. Competition with rapidly generated AI Slop potentially undermines the consultant’s value proposition by making them an assumed commodity. Clients might question the value of paying premium fees when seemingly similar insights are readily available online, albeit often lacking depth, context, and tailored application.
Enshittification
“The gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking.”
– Macquarie Dictionary
The pressure to adopt AI can lead consultants to focus on superficial applications rather than integrating AI meaningfully into their core methodologies. This can backfire, resulting in standardized, "cookie-cutter" solutions that fail to deliver the personalized insights clients seek.
The consultant's dilemma, therefore, is not just competing with AI, but reclaiming the value of expertise in the face of commoditization from both AI and "AI slop." They must find ways to work with the efficiency of AI while controlling expert-level, high-quality work.
The core value of expertise remains essential. AI excels at processing data and identifying patterns, but inherently lacks the nuanced judgment, strategic thinking, and personalized guidance that clients seek from experienced consultants. Clients engage consultants for strategic foresight, creative problem-solving, and the ability to adapt to dynamic circumstances. They value the personalized attention, the trusted advisor relationship, and the nuanced understanding of their specific needs that an experienced consultant provides. These qualities are not easily replicated by AI alone. A 2023 survey by Source Global Research found that clients consistently ranked "trust" and "personalized attention" as the top factors influencing their choice of consulting firm.
Innovation Algebra recognizes this fundamental truth. By capturing and scaling the expertise of individual consultants, we empower them to efficiently deliver the personalized, contextually relevant guidance that clients value.
Identic AI
The concept of capturing and scaling the specialized knowledge and decision-making processes of leading professionals, transforming their expertise into personalized, adaptable, and AI-powered solutions.
Identic AI offers consultants the ability to reclaim the value of their expertise. It functions as a "digital twin of your skills," transforming tacit knowledge into scalable solutions, allowing consultants to:
Consider a scenario where a consultant specializes in a unique approach to strategic planning. Traditionally, this expertise would be limited by the number of clients they could personally serve. With Identic AI, this consultant can capture their strategic planning methodology, creating a tool that they and/or other businesses can use to develop their own strategic plans. This not only expands the consultant's reach but also creates a new revenue stream based on their intellectual property.
The "digital twin of your skills" empowers consultants to go beyond simply providing advice; it allows them to build and deploy scalable solutions driven by their unique methodologies. Transforming expertise from an intangible asset into a tangible product. It allows consultants to establish and nurture thought leadership as a unique capability that benefits them as much as their clients.
The traditional consulting model, often characterized by long hours and the pressure to constantly generate new business, can feel like a relentless race against time. Identic AI offers a different path: the ability to build a sustainable consulting business centered around your expertise, not just the hours you can bill. It's about creating a future where you own your time, your intellectual property, and your destiny.
Imagine transitioning from a business model where your income is capped by the number of hours in a day to one where your expertise can work for you 24/7, reaching clients across the globe. This is the potential of Identic AI. Building a sustainable business model that allows your expertise to thrive and generate value long into the future.
The consulting industry is at a crossroads. The rise of generic AI presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While "AI slop" threatens to devalue expertise, Identic AI offers a path to reclaiming its worth.
The future of consulting belongs to those who understand the power of expertise. By capturing and scaling your unique methodologies, you can survive and thrive in the Age of AI. The "digital twin of your skills" becomes your most valuable asset. It's an investment in your future, a way to build a business that is both financially rewarding and personally fulfilling.
