PwC harnesses AI to cut consulting delivery times
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA — PwC is reshaping the consulting landscape by deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate project delivery, showing that smaller, AI-powered teams may define the future of professional services.
According to a report from Financial Review, in one striking example, the firm modernized a client’s application system in three months with just six advisers and 18 AI agents—a task that previously required 40 developers, according to PwC advisory leader Rohit Antao.
AI boosts efficiency while keeping human oversight
Antao emphasized that the firm’s approach is focused on supervision rather than staff cuts.
“We’re not looking at AI as a cost-saving tool,” he said, describing it instead as “an amplification tool so that we can do more with the same teams we have.”
With newer generative AI models, he added, similar projects could now be completed with only four advisers.
The firm is also providing staff with “sustainable working hours,” positioning AI as a tool to enhance productivity without overburdening employees.
The consulting division’s 2030 plan reflects this approach, simplifying its structure into six streams: client growth, deals, productivity, private clients, digital, and risk and regulatory.
Nearly 200 of its 218 partners have undertaken an eight-week AI course through the United States Kellogg School of Management to integrate an “AI-first lens” into client services, Antao said.
Transforming traditional consulting models
The use of AI is challenging the traditional pyramid staffing model in professional services, where senior staff oversee a larger base of junior staff. PwC’s deals advisers now use the legal AI platform Harvey to streamline mergers and acquisitions work.
“Harvey lets us do that at scale, so teams can spend less time processing and more time on judgment,” Antao said.
Our peer [rival firm] showed up with a pitch involving about 70 people between Australia and offshore centres [centers],” he said.
“We ended up offering 15 people powered by AI platforms. We were able to do it with a fraction of the team at a much lower price point and faster,” Antao added.
As the big four and other rivals, including Accenture, race to adopt AI, the consulting industry faces a growing threat from nimble, AI-driven entrants with fewer overheads.
Antao acknowledged this risk, saying he worries that “a competitor pops up tomorrow with global scale and eats everyone’s lunch.”
The rise of AI-powered consulting teams signals a potential turning point for outsourcing and professional services. Firms that can leverage AI to enhance speed, precision, and cost-efficiency may gain a decisive edge in a market increasingly shaped by technology-driven competition, redefining how expertise is delivered globally.
