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Over the past year, artificial intelligence has made tremendous progress. I remember sharing my frustrations about a year ago, but today, not only am I a regular user of AI, but I have to admit that the quality of the work it does is top notch.

So, how do I see AI impacting the work of advisors in the future? Well, I can see a number of areas where AI is going to be a game changer with profound consequences on the work of advisors, consultants or extension services.

First of all, why should clients pay advisors and consultants when they can have the same quality delivered by AI for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time? I often read posts and articles warning you that if you do not use AI, you will be replaced by people who do. That is true, but in reality, the shift goes beyond the competitors. If you do not use AI, you certainly will be at a disadvantage, but that is not the worst that can happen. The true concern is not so much competitors as the clients using AI for tasks that they used to outsource to you. If advisors use AI for some parts of their assignments, clients can do it just as well. Let’s face it, learning how to prompt is not that difficult. If an advisor can do it, be assured that so can the client. The client becomes the competitor for some tasks. It is not even about competition; it is about a market that will not longer exist, simply because it has no longer any reason to exist.

What will be the activities that advisors and consultants used to provide that will soon be obsolete? Everything that has to do with compiling information, conceptualization, knowledge and data will be the first to go. The bulk of reports, surveys and research will shift to AI. I used to see many similar reports that were passed to different clients and sold at retail price, thanks to word processing. This is going to be history very soon.

– Competence –

So, if advisors are not needed anymore to do their “traditional” work, what will be left for them to do? This is where the views about AI of a couple of years ago will change dramatically. I remember by then, a report from Harvard University showing that highly skilled consultants were showing less improvement by using AI than the less talented ones. That sounded like consultants would use AI and, miracle, even the mediocre ones could fool the rest and seem like high performers. I never bought that sort of thinking. To me, that already sounded like AI had the potential to simply replace them. Period. And that is what will happen. Using AI to try to look good is a weak strategy. Everyone can see that everyday on LinkedIn. There, the number of posts obviously generated with AI published everyday is amazing. But since it is AI, the natural question is to wonder whether the person publishing the post truly has the competences they claim to have, or is AI actually the one with the competences? When you start wondering about that, you are already questioning the real level of expertise of that person. This is where the top quality of the advisor of the future appears: competence! In the future, only talented advisors wil survive. Keep aside posts that have not been proofread while showing obvious errors, which is a reputation killer right away, it is interesting to look at comments. Competence (or lack hereof) appears right there. Can (or does) the person answer the questions asked or reply intelligently to comments or not? Then, you have your answer. Personally, I like to comment on posts, sometimes because I want to know more, and sometimes because I like to challenge a bit.

– Adding value –

Competence is one thing, but the advisor of the future will need to show more than just that. The key to survive as an advisor in a future with AI, is going to be able to deliver added value, and to demonstrate what it is and how much it is, in a tangible manner. The future role of advisors will not be anymore knowledge transfer (although that will always be an asset), but the core of the advice of the future will be in the know-how.

Farewell theoretical concepts alone! Welcome practical ability for execution!

This has been my philosophy since Day 1, so I like this idea. I would even go as far as to see the remuneration of advisors shift from flat fees for a project to a two-part system. A base fee, and a variable “bonus” linked to the actual performance improvement that the advisor will generate.

Adding value requires to understand the business of the client and especially what the specific needs for improvement are. It is truly a market-driven business-to-business approach. Successful advisors will be those who can “embed” themselves in the client’s operations, understand what works and what does not, and understand what should be happening but does not. AI is not just about technology. It is about having a tool to better help clients. It is a tool to support the human side of a business. Of course, some advisors are actually in that position. They are already doing quite well, and will keep doing so, as long as they do what is needed to stay sharp.

Copyright 2025 – Christophe Pelletier – The Food Futurist – The Happy Future