The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes has launched a new code for the responsible use of AI in the management consulting sector. As the industry ramps up its use of the technology, the institute aims to ensure that this use remains responsible, and not in ways that damage the reputation of the profession as a whole.
While ICMCI’s new code recognises the changes and challenges AI brings to the credibility of the consulting industry. While the document says it could offer significant opportunities to enhance research, analysis, insight generation, knowledge management, and service delivery, in the wake of a number of high-profile scandals where firms have been caught submitting ‘hallucinated’ work to clients, the code also emphasises that consultants remain responsible for the advice, recommendations, and outcomes delivered to clients.
One particular tract reads, “AI does not dilute accountability. The use of an AI system does not reduce, transfer or extinguish the personal and professional accountability of the consultant or firm… Where an AI system contributes to an output, the consultant who presents, delivers or relies upon that output bears the same professional responsibility as if the work had been produced entirely by human effort.”
The launch of its Code for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Management Consulting Code provides a globally applicable framework to help consultants harness the benefits of AI while maintaining the highest standards of professional integrity, client trust, and human judgment. The Code further encourages consultants to maintain appropriate levels of AI literacy, continuously assess the risks and limitations of AI systems, and ensure that AI-generated outputs are subject to professional review and validation before being incorporated into client work.
Presented on International Consultants Day by Nick Warn, on behalf of ICMCI, the code also establishes a set of guiding principles for maintaining transparency in AI usage, protection of confidential and sensitive information, mitigation of bias and unintended consequences, respect for legal and regulatory requirements, and the preservation of professional independence and objectivity.
“The management consulting profession has always been built on trust, competence, and ethical conduct,” commented Warn at the code’s launch. “As AI becomes an increasingly powerful tool within consulting practice, it is essential that its use is guided by clear principles that protect clients, uphold professional standards, and ensure that human accountability remains at the centre of decision-making.”
The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) is a global association of national institutes dedicated to advancing the profession of management consulting. Among the more than 50 institutions in the community are the US’s Institute of Management Consultants, China’s Management Consulting Committee of China Enterprise Confederation, Russia’s National Institute of Certified Management Consultants, and the UK’s Institute of Consulting – part of the Chartered Management Institute, which partners with the Management Consultancies Association on its own quality assurance for the industry: the Chartered Management Consultant Award.
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