AI, a growing reality in professional offices

Artificial intelligence has ceased to be a promise of the future to become a daily tool in consultancies: 7 out of 10 professional offices already use it in their day-to-day, according to the latest edition of the Barometer of Consulting, from Wolters Kluwer, a leading technology provider of software solutions, information, and services for professional offices and companies.

The data from the report show that the profession is immersed in an unprecedented transformation process in which artificial intelligence has become the latest lever for change. This evolution is especially significant if analyzed with perspective: the Barometer of Consulting reaches its fifth edition this year, which allows us to clearly observe how the sector has evolved in a period marked by the acceleration of digitalization.

The transformation of the sector

Technology has fully entered offices and has been integrated into all kinds of processes, accelerating the sector's transformation and redefining the role of the professional advisor. While in the early years the technological conversation focused on process automation, the debate has evolved towards the consolidation of cloud-based work to gain efficiency and competitiveness, and today it revolves around how AI can transform the way of working, the relationship with clients, and the very business model of advisory firms. AI is a reality that is transforming the way organizations of all sizes and sectors work, including professional offices. And the data is eloquent: 70.5% of advisors state they use artificial intelligence in their daily activity, 66.3% more than in 2025.

Because the real interest of this phenomenon does not lie solely in the adoption rate; what is more relevant is to understand what AI is used for and what consequences it will have for the profession. The main conclusion emerging from the report is that artificial intelligence is not replacing the advisor, but transforming the nature of their work: technology is taking over repetitive, administrative, or low-value-added tasks, allowing professionals to dedicate more time to activities that require analysis, judgment, and expert knowledge. In fact, 50.9% of advisors believe that their activity will focus on advice thanks to technological implementation, more than half of firms (54.8%) believe that technology improves the advisory service they offer their clients, and a very significant portion also highlights its ability to optimize internal processes and increase operational efficiency (46.4%). Therefore, technology is driving a deeper transformation than a simple improvement in productivity: it is accelerating the evolution of the advisor's role itself.

An opportunity for improvement

This change of role is not accidental. Traditionally, a good part of the activity of law firms has been linked to the fulfillment of administrative and regulatory obligations. Although these functions remain essential, technology is progressively reducing the time needed to carry them out. As a consequence, professionals can dedicate more and more effort to activities of greater added value, such as accompanying companies in decision-making, interpreting complex scenarios, planning and anticipating, or identifying improvement opportunities. This is precisely one of the most consistent trends identified by the Advisory Barometer during its different editions and which is strongly consolidated in 2026: the evolution of the advisor towards an increasingly strategic role.

This transformation is particularly relevant in a context marked by increasing regulatory complexity; in fact, 94.9% of consulted advisors state that legislative changes increase their workload. Companies face constant changes in areas such as labor, tax, or invoicing, which reinforces the need to have professionals capable of providing judgment and guidance. In this scenario, technology becomes a key ally, as it allows for information processing, task streamlining, and easier access to knowledge, freeing up time for the advisor to focus on activities that generate more value for the client.

New challenges

However, the sector faces some challenges: attracting and developing talent has become one of the profession's major concerns, and 56.5% of firms acknowledge difficulties in attracting professionals. Businesses must incorporate profiles that are increasingly prepared to work in digital environments, combining technical knowledge with technological competencies and adapting to a pace of change that will likely continue to increase. This is because the adoption of artificial intelligence is not only transforming work processes but also the competencies the profession will require in the coming years.

Five years after the launch of the Advisory Barometer, the picture is clear: technology is not just redefining how consultancies work; it is redefining what the 21st-century advisor will be like. A transformation process that, far from having reached its end, has only just begun.