Where AI and automation help
- Connecting apps so data flows without copy-and-paste.
- AI assistants that draft emails, summaries and reports.
- Customer-service chatbots with a clear hand-off to a person.
- Reading invoices, forms and contracts automatically.
- Dashboards and forecasts from your existing data.
- Training your team to use AI tools well.
Rules and frameworks to know
- EU: the AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) entered into force in August 2024, with obligations phasing in over several years. Some uses are banned, “high-risk” uses face strict duties, and chatbots must tell people they’re talking to AI.
- US: NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework is free, voluntary guidance used widely by businesses. Existing consumer-protection and anti-discrimination laws still apply to AI.
- UK: regulators apply existing law to AI in their sectors. The ICO has guidance on AI and data protection.
- Everywhere: if personal data goes into an AI tool, data protection law applies.
How to choose a consultant
- Start with one high-value, low-risk process and measure the time saved.
- Ask which tools and models they use, and why.
- Check where your data goes, how it’s stored, and whether it’s used to train models.
- Make sure you’ll own the workflows and can run them without the consultant.
- Ask how they test accuracy and keep a person in the loop for important decisions.
What affects the cost
The number of processes and systems, data quality, custom development, software subscriptions and usage fees, and training. Many consultants start with a paid discovery or pilot before a larger project.
Last updated: 16 October 2026
