The T-shaped model had an elegant logic. Clients faced complex problems that spanned multiple domains. They needed advisors who could synthesize across boundaries—someone who understood enough about finance, operations, technology, and strategy to connect the dots. The horizontal bar of the T represented this cross-functional fluency.
But here’s what’s changed: AI now provides that horizontal bar instantly and nearly for free.
What AI Can Do Today
Consider what a well-prompted AI can do today:
- Synthesize research across dozens of industries in minutes
- Generate frameworks that span multiple business functions
- Translate technical concepts into strategic implications
- Provide “good enough” analysis across virtually any domain
The breadth that once took years to develop—reading industry reports, attending conferences, building mental models across sectors—can now be approximated by anyone with access to Claude or ChatGPT.
A junior analyst with strong AI skills can produce cross-functional analysis that rivals what took senior associates years to develop.
Breadth Is No Longer a Differentiator
This doesn’t mean breadth is worthless. It means breadth is no longer a differentiator. It’s table stakes.
The horizontal bar of the T has been commoditized. What hasn’t been commoditized? The vertical stroke. Depth. True expertise.
Why Generalists Use AI as a Crutch
There’s a critical distinction between how generalists and specialists use AI:
- The T-shaped generalist uses AI as a crutch—filling gaps in knowledge they never truly developed
- The I-shaped specialist uses AI as a force multiplier—amplifying expertise they’ve spent years building
Clients are now asking consultants about their AI capabilities. AI fluency has become “a new credentialization.” But critically, AI fluency without domain expertise is hollow.
The Evidence from the Field
As Namaan Mian of Management Consulted observed: “It is harder to staff a 23-year-old on those kinds of projects versus someone with experience.”
The “kinds of projects” he’s referring to are those requiring genuine expertise—the kind built over years of seeing the same problem in dozens of variations.
The data supports this: firms are increasingly hiring laterally from industry rather than promoting generalist MBAs. A former pharmaceutical executive who understands FDA approval processes brings value that no amount of case interview preparation can replicate.
The Death of “General Horsepower”
For years, consulting firms evaluated candidates on “general horsepower”—the ability to figure out anything quickly. This made sense when information was scarce and synthesis required human effort.
That world is gone. AI has flattened the horizontal bar of the T, making generalist breadth cheap and ubiquitous.
The old differentiators—broad exposure, quick learning, “general horsepower”—no longer command a premium. What remains scarce and valuable is depth:
- Tacit knowledge born from lived experience
- Pattern recognition from seeing the same problem dozens of times
- Judgment under ambiguity with incomplete data
- Embedded networks that compound over years
The Structural Shift
The T-shaped consultant was a creature of the information scarcity era. When knowledge was hard to access and synthesis was valuable, breadth commanded premium rates.
That era is over. AI has commoditized breadth. It has made generalist knowledge nearly free and infinitely scalable.
What remains scarce—and therefore valuable—is depth. True expertise. The judgment that comes from years of pattern recognition in a specific domain.
The I-shaped consultant, augmented by AI, represents the new career gold standard:
- Deep enough that their expertise cannot be replicated by AI-assisted generalists
- AI-fluent enough that their expertise scales beyond personal bandwidth
- Focused enough that they become the definitive authority in their domain
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.
Key Takeaways
- AI provides the horizontal bar of the T instantly and nearly for free
- A junior analyst with AI can produce analysis that rivals senior associates
- Breadth is now table stakes, not a differentiator
- Generalists use AI as a crutch; specialists use it as a force multiplier
- Firms are increasingly hiring laterally from industry rather than promoting generalist MBAs
- “General horsepower” no longer commands a premium
