OpenAI enters Consulting. Yes, challenging Big 4s

• For nearly two years, Big 4s and consulting firms like Accenture have been cashing in on the AI boom.
• Now, OpenAI has quietly launched a high-stakes AI consulting business… And it is going straight to clients.
• OpenAI’s move has made the Big 4s, well, just middlemen (not AI transformation leaders)!
• Yes, we are in the age of AI deployment-as-a-service!

From API provider to AI Consulting

Until recently, OpenAI was known for ChatGPT and model licensing.

But now, they’re working directly with clients.

They are embedding ‘Forward-Deployed Engineers’ (FDEs) inside client teams and building:

• Custom GPT-4o models trained on proprietary data
• Generative AI agents to automate workflows
• Domain-specific copilots for legal, finance, ops
• Deep integrations with ERP, audit, and data systems

Yes, OpenAI’s “forward-deployed engineer” strategy was taken out of Palantir’s playbook.

This is AI-as-a-Service with elite engineering inside your firewall.

$10M+ projects

And it’s not dipping a toe in it.

It’s cannonballing into billion-dollar waters.

OpenAI’s consulting deals start at $10 million and can stretch into the hundreds of millions.

Examples:

• Grab is using OpenAI to auto-annotate map data.
• The U.S. Department of Defence (Pentagon) has reportedly signed a $200M+ contract for AI-based strategic systems.

Consulting firms should be worried

Until recently, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, McKinsey and others were the go-to for AI transformation.

They built Centres of AI Excellence, invested billions in AI strategy, Partnered with OpenAI, Claude, and everyone in between.

• BCG earns 20% of its revenue from AI, up from zero just a few years ago
• McKinsey expects 40% of its business to come from AI soon
• IBM has locked in over $1 billion in AI sales
• Accenture has 80,000 AI experts and reports $1.5 billion in AI revenue in Q3 2025 alone
• Deloitte builds a 40,000-strong AI and data team
• PwC pumps over $1 billion into Generative AI capabilities
• KPMG and EY are going all-in with massive AI bets

Now, tech companies like OpenAI, Palantir are doing the same, with a deeper knowledge of the tech, faster turnaround, and direct access to the underlying models.

Forward-deployed engineers from these tech firms are replacing large consulting teams.

So what happens to the Big 4?

AI has already impacted the Big 4s and the Consulting industry by automating discovery.

For example, what used to take teams of consultants months now takes AI agents days.

And that’s why Big 4 clients are pushing back on pricing, demanding to share in the efficiency gains delivered by AI.

Now, with OpenAI providing AI Consulting to clients directly will hurt the Big 4 a lot more!

They’re at risk of being pushed down the value chain. They are becoming:

• AI auditors
• Compliance reviewers
• Integration partners

Still important, but no longer leading the charge as AI transformation leaders.

Will we see talent migration?

OpenAI has recruited over a dozen top engineers—many from Palantir, Stripe, Google, and Accenture—to launch this high-end offering.

This move will likely trigger a talent scramble, with Big 4 firms and others facing the challenge of losing their best people.

OpenAI isn’t alone

Companies like Fractional and Tribe AI are forming ecosystems around them, offering end-to-end enterprise AI integration.

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s startup, Thinking Machines Lab, raised $2B on a $10B valuation. The goal of building reinforcement-learning-based AI tune to business-specific metrics.

Wrapping up…

The consulting playbook is being rewritten by the people who built the AI, not those who just sell it.

Think about it: These tech firms themselves are now becoming service providers, offering better integration with lower overhead and more speed.

A clear trend is emerging: technology companies are transforming into service providers simultaneously.

It seems like everyone is now blending technology and services into one business.

FAQs

What is OpenAI’s new AI consulting service?

A: OpenAI has launched a high-value AI consulting service that embeds elite engineers directly with clients.

They build custom GPT-4o models, AI workflow agents, and domain-specific AI copilots to deliver AI-as-a-Service solutions starting at $10 million projects.

What industries are adopting OpenAI’s AI consulting solutions?

A: Industries including defense (e.g., U.S. Department of Defense), ride-hailing (e.g., Grab), finance, legal, and operations are using OpenAI’s AI consulting services for automation, data annotation, and building AI copilots.

How does OpenAI’s AI consulting compare to Accenture’s AI services?
A: While Accenture employs tens of thousands of AI experts and generates billions in AI revenue, OpenAI offers direct access to the original AI models and elite engineers who built them, enabling faster, more customized AI integration.

What is the future of AI consulting with companies like OpenAI entering the space?
A: AI consulting is moving towards “AI-as-a-Service” models where technology providers directly deploy AI solutions within enterprises. This reduces reliance on traditional consulting firms and reshapes the consulting value chain.