Leveraging AI in Professional Services

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been at the forefront of technological innovation in the past few years now, but 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for professional services businesses looking to harness its potential when it comes to streamlining processes, maximising your existing resources and creating a better client experience. Understanding AI and in turn leveraging its capabilities, but also recognising its limitations, can help professional services firms gain a competitive advantage and keep ahead of the curve. 

What is AI?

Simply put, AI is the simulation of human intelligence by machines programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve like a human brain would. AI software and apps can process data, recognise patterns, make decisions, constantly evolve and adapt results to respond to different prompts, contexts and situations.

Different variations of AI range from narrow AI, which is designed to carry out specific tasks, acting more as a virtual assistant, to general AI, which is designed to carry out more complex tasks such as analysis and reporting. AI is being deployed in a wide range of ways, including machine learning, natural language processing and robotics.

How is AI changing?

AI has been around for decades and is used by most of us daily, from social media algorithms, chatbots on websites to language-processing virtual assistants, such as Alexa and Siri. However, it is increasingly becoming a part of our lives through the introduction of generative AI apps such as ChatGPT, Midjourney and Claude, amongst many others. 

AI is becoming increasingly accessible, thanks to user-friendly interfaces and integrations with existing business tools. It is also becoming more specialised, enabling tailored solutions for specific sectors such as law, accounting, and consulting industries. 

How can professional services businesses leverage AI?

Automate your routine tasks to increase efficiency

Gen AI is changing the game when it comes to time efficiency. With apps such as ChatGPT capable of performing manual administrative and research tasks, this is a game changer for putting valuable time to better use.

AI can handle time-consuming data entry, scheduling, and report generation tasks. This allows professionals to focus on high-value tasks that require their expertise, enabling businesses to upskill existing staff and become a catalyst for growth.

Drawing Deeper Insights from Data

AI tools can quickly analyse and report on vast amounts of data, uncovering trends and insights that inform wider strategic decisions. Predictive analytics can help businesses forecast market trends and cater for changing client needs and demands. This can be used in all professional services businesses to develop custom service offerings for clients and contribute to developing accurate ‘buyer personas’.

Enhanced Client Experience

Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI can provide 24/7 client support. This can improve response times and lead to higher levels of client satisfaction and in turn retention. Faster and more iterative responses will also help attract more prospects and referrals in the increasingly competitive arena of professional services. 

Efficient Onboarding and Personalised Communications

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can be a powerful tool for onboarding tasks. Once you have collected client data, CRM systems can automate client communications to offer a more streamlined, personal service that fosters strong relationships generating cross-selling, up-selling and referral opportunities.

AI as the Ultimate Research Tool

For legal and consulting firms, AI tools can help sift through vast amounts of data and reading materials to identify relevant information for tasks and projects, saving considerable time that can be used more productively elsewhere in the business.

However, it is always worth noting that AI is rarely 100% accurate and should therefore be double-checked.

Idea Generation

When it comes to content marketing and thought leadership, many of us draw a blank when confronted with an empty Word document. Using AI to help come up with content ideas can give you a welcome head start on any content and copy needed for your business. This could be for anything from blogs, white papers and reports to webinar or event topic ideas.

It is important to note that AI-generated content should constantly be reviewed by a person within the business to maintain authenticity, consistency and quality. Always add an expert human touch to your business’ content to ensure that it stands out and avoids an echo-chamber effect against the mass production of AI-generated content. 

Developing a strong user case  

Whilst it is important to stay on top of the latest developments in AI, it’s not possible, or necessary, to use every application you come across. 

To get the most out of AI, businesses need to establish clear goals and work backwards to demonstrate ways in which AI can be used to help achieve them. For example, if your business is increasingly busy and you need to find ways to reduce time-consuming administrative tasks, look for systems, processes and apps that could effectively automate some of the tasks currently performed manually.

Keeping up to date with AI developments ensures that your business can use AI as a general-purpose tool and an industry-specific solution, offering deeper insights and more effective outcomes.

What Are AI’s Limitations?

Despite its many advantages, AI isn’t an answer to everything. As rapidly advancing as it may be, AI still has some way to go in terms of accuracy when producing results and also clarity on what happens to the data we input on programs such as ChatGPT.

When it comes to running a professional services business, there are some precautions businesses need to consider when using AI: 

Lack of Contextual Understanding

While AI excels at pattern recognition, current versions still lack the more nuanced understanding that is likely required in complex and highly technical areas of work typically found in professional services. Here, human decision-making and judgement, as well as technical expertise, far outweighs AI capabilities and should therefore not be replaced by it.

Ethical, Legal and Privacy Concerns

Like any major technological advancement in the past, questions have been raised over the ethical use of AI and the legal parameters that will need to be established as it continues to rapidly develop and increasingly becomes a part of our day to day lives.

 Government, organisational and commercial guidelines and regulations are being established to help with these ethical, legal and privacy concerns. With the establishment of the Office of Artificial Intelligence last month, the development of a national AI strategy and progressing guidance on ethics, transparency and accountability, professional services businesses should keep up to date with the latest best practices as they evolve.

When it comes to data, anything that a business would not share on a public forum should not be used on an AI platform. Since there is no control over who this data is shared with, it poses a significant security threat and potential client data breach. 

Helping you navigate AI

As a marketing agency operating at the cutting edge of technological changes, it is important for us, as with any business, to explore the potential benefits of advancing AI. We strive to develop and keep a working knowledge of AI – its current capabilities and potential.

We’re an award-winning specialist digital and social media marketing agency working with a range of professional services businesses including law firms, accountants, financial advisers and property professionals. With our backgrounds rooted in the professional services industry, our team can act as a sounding board for business owners navigating AI, as well as adopting AI in strategic marketing efforts to gain a competitive advantage.

Get in touch for a free consultation to see how user testing can help your business.  Complete our contact form, call 0333 050 6015 or email hello@calpartners.co.uk.