Smart bots, big bills: India Inc’s rude awakening after AI fails to lower consulting fees

India Inc's top consulting and audit firms' admission that AI has not lowered consulting fees, despite reducing junior-level workload, marks a significant revelation in the industry's adoption of automation. This means that website owners who rely on consulting and audit firms for their online presence may not see a reduction in their bills, contrary to initial expectations. The increased need for senior oversight to mitigate AI risks, such as hallucinations, translates to higher costs, which are likely to be passed on to clients, including website owners. As a result, website owners should be prepared to continue paying premium fees for consulting services, even if some tasks are automated. To navigate this landscape, website owners can take a few proactive steps: first, review their existing contracts with consulting firms to understand how AI-related costs are factored into their billing; second, consider negotiating value-based pricing models tied to specific outcomes, as firms are shifting towards this approach; and third, invest in AI bot tracking tools to monitor and optimize their own website's automation, potentially reducing reliance on external consulting services and associated fees.