Consulting professionals often assert that artificial intelligence will not displace their roles. Yet actions by one advisory firm hint that this outlook may not fully hold.

West Monroe, a midsize global advisory company, has introduced six AI agents that generate strategy-style reports at no charge.

The agents are openly accessible through WestMonroe.ai, which debuted on Monday, and address business model risk, competitive strategy, talent strategy, AI maturity, AI use case prioritization, and AI policy.

The goal is to enable business leaders to explore ideas, investments, and strategies ahead of detailed planning and rollout, while highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping the consulting sector.

For instance, a midsize retailer might use the platform to identify relevant AI applications for its operations, and a private-equity firm could evaluate disruption risks or prospects within its portfolio companies.

Users provide a company name or URL and obtain an external perspective on use cases, disruption, business differentiation, or policies in a report spanning five to ten pages.

Bret Greenstein, West Monroe's chief AI officer and a former PwC AI partner, explained that the platform delivers more customized results than a generic response from ChatGPT or similar tools.

The agents incorporate West Monroe's sector expertise and work with thousands of clients, so users receive a stronger outcome than attempting the task in a generic manner, he noted.

'A democratization of insights'

Greenstein indicated that, based on the firm and project scope, the agents deliver early-stage strategic analysis that previously might have cost clients hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

The marginal expense of generating that initial layer of insight has now dropped near zero, he added.

Locking the tools behind paywalls or restricted access does not align with current needs, Greenstein told Business Insider. Instead, there is value in making the information widely available to support improved decisions.

The platform acts as a democratization of insights, he said.

The concept for the free agents emerged from internal trials with AI coding tools such as Claude Code and Codex, which simplified prototype creation for non-engineers within the firm.

Consulting tasks are moving more toward implementation and transformation. As the initial research stage grew simpler, Greenstein noted that West Monroe recognized that monetizing these early outputs is not the core objective.

The focus lies in helping clients identify a direction and then supporting them along that path, he said.

This does not signal an end to West Monroe's strategy engagements. The free agentic service functions as a phase-zero stage of consulting, assisting companies in pinpointing key focus areas.

Paid services begin when analysis deepens and incorporates client-specific data, operating models, workflows, challenges, and implementation requirements before execution.

Greenstein recognizes that providing free AI-driven consulting could unsettle some competitors.

It should prompt reflection, yet peers should already anticipate this shift, he observed.

Industry-wide shifts

Consulting firms across the sector are rapidly integrating generative and agentic AI into operations while guiding clients on adoption.

This evolution is pressuring traditional pricing and staffing approaches. It also raises concerns about role reductions, especially at junior levels where routine tasks can now be automated.

Entry-level recruitment remains steady at West Monroe, Greenstein said. Despite the new free offering, he does not expect the technology to supplant consultants.

Judgment, critical thinking, and experience remain distinctly human qualities for the foreseeable future, Greenstein stated, while emphasizing that relationships matter most.

Clients place trust in consultants on a personal basis, he explained, and although AI may achieve strong judgment capabilities, it cannot assume accountability in the same manner as individuals.

AI can support every phase of the consulting process. The current environment requires consultants to focus less on task mechanics and more on client outcomes, Greenstein said.

The future of consulting centers on collaborating closely with clients to drive improvement, he concluded.