The Rise of the AI Consultant
Written by Christophe Zoghbi, Founder & CEO of ZAKA
Christophe Zoghbi is an AI entrepreneur, strategist, and Founder and CEO of ZAKA, an AI transformation company advancing adoption across the MENA region. He helps organizations move from AI awareness to practical capabilities, intelligent workflows, and scalable solutions.
What if the biggest opportunity in AI isn't building the technology, but knowing what to do with it? For years, professionals have been told to learn AI or risk falling behind. But after working with companies on AI adoption, I've noticed a different problem emerging, businesses have access to more AI than ever, yet many still don't know where to start.
McKinsey's 2025 State of AI report found that 80% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function. Yet only about one-third have started scaling AI across the enterprise. The technology isn't the bottleneck anymore. Knowing how to apply it is.
So, who helps companies figure that out?
This is where the AI consultant comes in. An AI consultant helps businesses understand where AI can create real value, which problems are worth solving, what solutions make sense, and how to turn those decisions into an actionable roadmap.
It requires more than knowing the latest AI tools. It requires understanding how a business works, how to identify opportunities, and how to connect technology to business outcomes. Importantly, it doesn't necessarily require a technical background.
What if your existing career is your advantage?
A marketer understands customers, an operations professional understands processes, and a product manager understands problems and priorities. A consultant understands how to diagnose a business and advise decision-makers.
Add AI expertise to those skills, and you have a combination that is becoming increasingly valuable.
PwC's 2026 AI Jobs Barometer found that jobs requiring AI skills have grown 69% since 2019, compared with 9% growth across the overall jobs market, while workers with AI skills command an average 62% wage premium.
The opportunity may not be to start your career over for AI. It may be to bring AI into the career you already have.
We saw the gap, so we built for it
Through our work with companies, we kept seeing the same gap, organizations needed people who could bridge business and technology, identify AI opportunities, and turn them into practical solutions.
Plenty of courses covered using AI tools and technical programs for building AI systems. But no structured path existed for business professionals to learn how to consult companies on AI.
We saw this gap and decided to build it.
ZAKA launched the Certified AI Consultant (CAC) Program, the first program of its kind worldwide, designed to help professionals from different backgrounds enter AI consulting without requiring coding or technical experience.
Throughout the program, participants learn how to identify AI opportunities inside businesses, conduct AI discovery, design practical AI roadmaps, develop consulting proposals, and guide organizations through AI adoption and implementation.
Since its launch, 100+ professionals have joined the CAC Program, and graduates have already started working with clients and offering AI consulting services themselves.
Now, we’re preparing for our next batch of consultants, equipping them with the knowledge, frameworks, tools, and practical experience they need to build real careers in AI consulting and deliver measurable value to businesses.
About the program
The Certified AI Consultant Program combines flexible self-paced learning with live, hands-on guidance to give you both the knowledge and practical experience needed to become an AI consultant.
The program includes 12 pre-recorded modules that you can complete at your own pace, alongside 12 live, interactive workshops where you’ll apply what you learn through real-world scenarios, guided activities, discussions, and practical exercises.
Throughout the program, you’ll work through incremental project milestones, building your project step by step while staying on track and receiving guidance along the way.
You’ll also have access to weekly office hours, giving you regular opportunities to ask the instructor questions, get feedback, troubleshoot challenges, and receive guidance on your progress.
Rather than simply watching lectures, the live component is designed around judgment building, real-world application, problem-solving, and active participation.
You’ll have lifetime access to all self-paced course materials, while live workshops and office hours will remain available to you for up to 6 months, giving you plenty of time to learn, build, and put your skills into practice.
If you’re interested in exploring this career path, learn more about the Certified AI Consultant Program here.
Follow me on LinkedIn for more info!
Read more from Christophe Zoghbi
Christophe Zoghbi, Founder & CEO of ZAKA
Christophe Zoghbi is an AI entrepreneur, strategist, and the Founder and CEO of ZAKA. He works with organizations across the MENA region to transform AI ambition into practical capabilities, intelligent workflows, and scalable solutions. Through ZAKA, he has helped build a growing AI community spanning more than 18 countries while supporting corporations, governments, universities, and professionals in adopting AI effectively. His work sits at the intersection of business strategy, technology, talent development, and ecosystem building. Christophe’s mission is to make AI accessible, actionable, and impactful while helping the region shape its own AI future.
