Over the past few months, I’ve watched an organization I serve make a quiet but significant shift. I am even seeing this in the government sector as well.

After reviewing several proposals from boutique consulting firms for an information management solution, proposals that would have cost six figures with the usual phased deliverables and ongoing advisory fees, they chose a different path. They’re building it inhouse with AI tools. At a fraction of the cost.

This wasn’t a budget cut. It was a strategic decision. Their position was why pay consultants for something we can now do ourselves?

And they’re not alone. What I’m witnessing isn’t isolated.

Organizations around the world that once relied on consultants for feasibility studies, compliance frameworks, and strategic documentation are increasingly asking: What are we actually paying for here?

The answer, in many cases, is uncomfortable: repackaged research and formatted insights they could now generate themselves.