How to Choose an AI Consultant: 14 Questions and the Red Flags

AI consulting is new enough that almost anyone can claim it. That makes choosing one harder than choosing an accountant or an IT firm, where the track record is easier to check. These are the questions we'd ask if we were on your side of the table.

About the work

• What will exist when you're done? You want a specific answer: a working system, a trained team, a written plan. "Transformation" is not a deliverable.
• Can you show me something you built? Ask for a real example, even if the client's name is withheld. Ask what it replaced and what changed afterward.
• Who actually does the work? Find out whether the person selling is the person building, or whether the work is handed to someone you haven't met.
• What happens if it doesn't work? A good answer covers how success is measured and what happens when it isn't met.

About your data

• Where does my data go? Name every tool and vendor that will touch it. If they don't know, that's your answer.
• Who owns the accounts? The AI tools, API keys and automations should be in your name, not theirs. If you part ways, you keep everything.
• What access do you need, and for how long? Start narrow. Read-only access to one system is a different risk from admin rights to everything.
• Is a person reviewing what the AI does? Anything that sends email, moves money or changes records should have a human checkpoint until it has earned trust.

About after they leave

• Who maintains it? Either your team can run it, with documentation, or you're signing up for an ongoing service. Know which.
• Will my team be trained? If only the consultant understands the system, you're dependent on them.
• What's documented? Ask to see an example of a handoff document.
• How is it priced? Hourly, fixed scope, or monthly, and what happens if scope changes. Our guide to what drives AI consulting cost goes deeper.
• Can I talk to someone you worked with? A reference who will take a call is worth more than a logo on a website.
• What would you tell me not to do? A consultant who can name what AI is bad at for your business is one who has done the work.

Red flags

• Guaranteed results or exact ROI before they've seen your operations. Nobody knows that yet.
• A big retainer as the first step. You should be able to start with something small and defined.
• They want your passwords. Proper access is granted through accounts and permissions, never by sharing a login.
• Claimed partnerships or certifications they can't point to. Ask where you can verify it. Real programs have a public listing or a written record.
• Everything runs through their accounts. That's lock-in, not a service.
• No answer on data handling. If the question makes them uncomfortable, walk.

Take the checklist with you

We put these questions on a one-page checklist you can print or save as a PDF and bring to any vendor meeting, including a meeting with us: the AI vendor checklist.

We're also covering this live on November 19 in our free monthly session, Where to Start With AI Without Handing Over the Keys. Register here.