By Shahryar Shaghaghi, Program Director and Professor of Practice, Technology Management, Columbia University, School of Professional Studies
In a previous blog, “Say Hello to AI as Your Team Member: Consulting Careers in Today’s World,” I discussed why consulting remains a promising career path for the next generation of technology leaders. I highlighted how AI has already become a "teammate" and digital transformation partner, helping organizations accelerate possibilities. However, recognizing AI as a teammate is only the first step. The next question is: How do we build the future with AI as a teammate?
We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the consulting "DNA." The future is not about simply using AI; it is about architecting the future of businesses with AI. As the traditional consulting pyramid evolves, successful professionals must move beyond adoption to reimagining how technology creates business value. This requires a new blueprint for the next era, starting with how we lead our teams, starting now. Here are some shifts we should expect to see in 2026 that will shape the new blueprint for leading in the age of AI.
The New "Front-Row Seat": Leading AI-Augmented Teams
Consultants have a "front-row seat" to digital transformation, accelerated with AI. Today, that seat requires a new set of capabilities and responsibilities. We are moving from human-led teams to AI-augmented teams, where human talent and AI agents collaborate as digital colleagues.
This shift demands a new form of "collaboration literacy," knowing how to prompt, guide, and verify intelligent systems. According to the IBM Institute for Business Value (2024), 40 percent of the global workforce will need to reskill as AI creates a new division of labor. The consultants who thrive will be those who treat AI not as a tool, but as a force multiplier, letting the algorithm handle the heavy lifting of data processing while they focus on the "mission-critical" elements of strategy and judgment. In addition, instilling ethics and responsible behavior needs to be at the center of all reskilling initiatives and newly designed workflows.
Reimagining the Value Chain: From "Expert" to "Architect"
The emergence of the hybrid teams forces us to confront the single most dangerous strategy in today’s market: optimizing an obsolete model. Just as Excel revolutionized financial modeling in the 90s, AI is now forcing us to ask "what if" across the entire value chain. Consultants must now map their current offerings to "what if with AI" scenarios to determine where to stay, pivot, or exit.
This strategic mapping requires difficult choices. We must identify and exit routine analytical tasks that are rapidly being commoditized. Simultaneously, we must pivot toward the opportunity to "productize" our knowledge, using AI to build proprietary models and platforms. Finally, we must choose to stay and double down on the human elements like empathy and negotiation that AI cannot replicate. This requires a "Reinvention Mindset." We are no longer just experts delivering best practices; we are architects building new ecosystems, fostering a culture of continuous innovation where we combine human creativity with machine scale.
Governance: The Foundation of the "Trusted Advisor"
This reliance on human judgment is precisely why governance has become the foundation of the new client relationship. In my last post, I mentioned that factors like corporate culture, emotion, and ambiguity make the human element irreplaceable. This is even more true today. As AI scales, the role of the consultant shifts from providing answers to providing governance and trust.
Clients are looking for a trusted advisor who can navigate the complex ethical, bias, and regulatory issues that come with AI. If an AI agent drafts a strategy, it is the human consultant who must validate it against the client’s values. Leading firms are already prioritizing this shift; as Deloitte highlights in the 2025 Tech Exec Survey, the defining challenge for the C-suite is no longer just "accessing" AI, but orchestrating the "cross-functional synergy" required to trust it. The market doesn't just need people who can build models; it needs advisors who can establish the governance frameworks that allow those models to be trusted, scaled, and sustained.
The Outlook: Architecting the New Age
Ultimately, the consulting toolkit for transforming businesses in the age of AI, encompassing strategic thinking, analytical rigor, and communication, is evolving. It now includes the ability to lead hybrid teams and govern intelligent systems at a rapid pace that keeps the human in the driver’s seat. We often look back at historical shifts, like the transition to the internet era, and wonder how professionals adapted. We are living through such a moment right now. The future belongs to those who do not view AI as a competitor, but as the ultimate lever for human potential.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Technology Management at Columbia University prepares graduates to lead digital transformation, and align technology and business strategy with an ethical lens. Through experiential learning, industry partnerships, and Columbia-supported research, students gain fluency in digital platforms and emerging technologies, and learn to design human-centered solutions that drive innovation and sustainable impact.
The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment online or on campus in NYC. Learn more about the program here.
