AI impact

: the future competences of consultants in the consulting sector

Abstract

Consulting is just one of several sectors that has been significantly affected by the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), namely in the huge reduction in time spent by consultants on various tasks, the processing of large volumes of data and the automation of repetitive tasks. This Master's thesis studies the impact of AI in this sector with a focus on identifying the future competences of consultants. Thus, this study aims to answer the research question: “What will be the future competences of consultants with the impact of Artificial Intelligence?”. The literature review focused on knowledge about this emerging technology and its impact on both the consultancy sector and consultants' skills. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 professionals experienced in consulting and AI, and the data was then analyzed using a thematic analysis methodology. The results show that AI increases the efficiency of consultants' different tasks, allowing them to be carried out more quickly and accurately. However, there are important new competences, namely Critical Analysis, Market Specialization and Client Communication, Strategic Capacity, mastery of Prompt Engineering and Updating and Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence technologies to guarantee success and relevance in this sector. It is becoming important for consultants to reinvent and update themselves in order to take advantage of emerging opportunities and face the challenges posed by the rise of AI in the consulting sector.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Duarte João Ferreira (Supervisor)