Enterprises must partner with consulting firms for AI: IBM's Mohamad Ali

IBM Consulting SVP Mohamad Ali says AI will be "net positive" as firms adopt human-plus-digital worker models and shift investments toward automation

IBM Consulting is crucial in the technology giant’s growth. According to IBM’s 2024 annual report, 80 per cent of its artificial intelligence (AI) bookings were fuelled by the consulting practice. The unit earned $20.69 billion as revenue in 2024, but growth has softened due to macroeconomic uncertainty. Mohamad Ali, senior vice-president at IBM Consulting, believes AI will be “net positive” despite the softness in demand. Ali, in a video interview with Shivani Shinde, talked about consulting and layoffs at IBM. Edited excerpts:

 

How has AI impacted consulting?

 

There’s a broader impact of