A good AI consultant leaves you more capable than they found you. A bad one leaves you dependent on them, with a shiny tool you cannot run without a retainer. The difference shows up in the questions you ask before signing.
What to look for
- Business fluency, not just technical - do they start with your problems or their product?
- Vendor-neutral advice - do they recommend what fits you, or what they resell?
- Knowledge transfer - will your team be able to run this without them?
- Realistic promises - do they talk in measured pilots, or guaranteed transformation?
- Evidence - can they point to comparable businesses, not just logos?
Beware the dependency trap
If the plan makes you permanently reliant on the consultant, that is a business model, not a strategy. The best engagements build your internal capability - the same reason we argue you can build an AI strategy without a data science team.
The bottom line
Choose AI consultants for business fluency, neutral advice and knowledge transfer - and walk away from anyone selling dependency or guaranteed miracles. Knowing enough to judge them well is exactly what the AI for leaders course at London School of Business UK gives you. Enquire today.