In this episode of Consulting the Future, we explore how Generative AI is quietly reshaping the consulting profession, not through bold predictions, but through real-world experimentation and measurable outcomes.

Recorded as part of the Tech Talks Network, this conversation features Vladimir "Vlad" Lukic from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who unpacks findings from a major research collaboration between BCG, Boston University, and OpenAI’s Economic Impacts team. The study set out to measure how GenAI tools like Enterprise ChatGPT with Advanced Data Analysis perform in the hands of consultants tasked with complex data science assignments.

What they found is already shifting how professional services firms think about productivity, talent, and technical capability. Vlad explains how BCG consultants with no prior coding experience were able to complete predictive modeling and statistical analysis tasks at 86 percent of the performance benchmark set by experienced data scientists, and even did so 10 percent faster on average. But the implications go far beyond speed.

We discuss what happens when AI becomes an exoskeleton for knowledge workers, why over-reliance on tools can create new learning gaps, and how firms can design workflows that balance automation with skill retention. Vlad shares how GenAI is being used at BCG to transform onboarding, speed up ideation, and even shift the number of hires needed on high-volume projects.

This is not about replacing consultants. It’s about enhancing their capabilities and rethinking how expertise is developed and deployed. Vlad also touches on how these insights extend beyond the office, from helping his kids understand entrepreneurship to reimagining family travel planning through AI-assisted decisions.

Whether you're leading a consulting practice, working in enterprise transformation, or simply looking for a grounded understanding of how GenAI is being applied today, this episode offers a candid look inside a firm that is already putting it to work.

What will GenAI change in your workflow? And how are you preparing your teams to not just use these tools, but think with them?

Join the conversation and let us know what the future of consulting means to you.