When Will AI Replace Consultant généraliste en cabinet de conseil ?

The impact of AI on Management Analysts is unfolding in distinct phases. Junior analysts in commoditized areas like process optimization and basic benchmarking will feel the effects as early as 2026. By mid-2028, approximately 45% of all Management Analyst tasks will be automated by AI, significantly transforming the consulting landscape.

The early wave of AI adoption, starting around 2026, will disproportionately affect roles focused on routine data analysis and report generation. These are tasks that AI can now perform with increasing efficiency and accuracy, leading to early displacement for some.

By mid-2028, the transformation will accelerate, with generative AI automating complex processes like market sizing, competitive analysis, and the creation of first-draft strategy decks, tasks that previously took weeks for human consultants.

Junior analysts in commoditized practices, such as process optimization and basic benchmarking, are at the highest risk of impact as early as 2026. Their core responsibilities are most susceptible to automation by current AI capabilities, necessitating a strategic shift in their skill development.

Senior partners who possess deep client relationships, exceptional strategic thinking, and specialized industry expertise are expected to remain essential through 2030 and beyond. Their roles, centered on high-level judgment and client advisory, are less prone to automation.

Mid-level consultants must prioritize upskilling in AI-augmented consulting methodologies to mitigate the risk of displacement by 2028. This involves learning to leverage AI tools and integrating them into their workflow to enhance, not replace, their human expertise.

Embrace AI-powered tools like McKinsey's Lilli AI and BCG's Gamma platform. These technologies can automate routine tasks, freeing up time for higher-value strategic thinking, client relationship building, and change management expertise, areas where human judgment remains paramount.