The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) launched a new Code for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Management Consulting on 25 June 2026. The move responds to a string of high-profile incidents where consulting firms submitted AI-generated work containing fabricated information to clients, and aims to safeguard the profession's reputation as AI adoption accelerates.
The code delivers a blunt message on accountability: using AI does not let consultants off the hook. It states that "AI does not dilute accountability. The use of an AI system does not reduce, transfer or extinguish the personal and professional accountability of the consultant or firm… Where an AI system contributes to an output, the consultant who presents, delivers or relies upon that output bears the same professional responsibility as if the work had been produced entirely by human effort."
Accountability cannot be outsourced
That principle sits at the centre of the framework. The code pushes back against any assumption that AI-generated errors are somehow less serious than human ones. A consultant who signs off on a hallucinated market analysis or a flawed recommendation remains just as answerable as if they had written the work themselves. The document frames this as a non-negotiable extension of existing professional duties, not a new burden.
The code was presented on International Consultants Day by Nick Warn on behalf of ICMCI. Warn said, "The management consulting profession has always been built on trust, competence, and ethical conduct. As AI becomes an increasingly powerful tool within consulting practice, it is essential that its use is guided by clear principles that protect clients, uphold professional standards, and ensure that human accountability remains at the centre of decision-making."
A framework built on existing professional values
Beyond the accountability clause, the code lays out a set of guiding principles. Consultants are expected to maintain transparency about AI use, protect confidential and sensitive information, mitigate bias and unintended consequences, respect legal and regulatory requirements, and preserve their professional independence and objectivity. The document also urges firms to continuously assess the risks and limitations of AI systems and to subject AI-generated outputs to professional review before they reach clients.
AI literacy gets specific attention. The code encourages consultants to stay capable of evaluating AI tools and their outputs, not just deploying them. For professionals looking to build that competence, an AI Learning Path for Management Consultants can provide structured guidance on the very skills the code now expects.
Global body, local impact
ICMCI is a worldwide association of national institutes, with more than 50 members including the Institute of Management Consultants in the US, China's Management Consulting Committee, Russia's National Institute of Certified Management Consultants, and the UK's Institute of Consulting. The new code is designed to apply across all those markets, giving firms and individual consultants a common reference point regardless of local regulations.
Why this matters for management professionals
The code shifts the AI conversation from "should we use it?" to "how do we use it without breaking trust?" For managers and consultants, this means documenting when and how AI contributes to client work, verifying outputs before they are presented, and accepting that delegating to a machine does not delegate the blame. The reputational risk is concrete-a single incident of unchecked AI output can erode a client relationship built over years. The code offers a clear, enforceable benchmark that puts the profession's core values ahead of technological convenience.
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