AI strategy and direction
Challenge assumptions, priorities and proposed approaches before they harden into commitments.
AI ADVISORY
An independent view when the AI decision matters
When you're making decisions about AI, you don't always need another proposal. Sometimes you need someone prepared to examine the evidence, challenge the assumptions and tell you what they actually think.
Cortessian provides independent advice grounded in current research, ongoing experimentation and practical use of AI. That may reinforce what you're already hearing — or challenge it.
The decision remains yours. The aim is to make sure you understand what you're deciding, why, and what the alternatives are.
Book a conversationINDEPENDENTCURRENTEVIDENCE-LED
01 / INDEPENDENT ADVICE
Good advice isn't measured by whether you follow it
You don't need to agree with us.
Our role is to give you the clearest view we can, based on the available evidence and what we're seeing through research, experimentation and practical use. If that leads us to a different conclusion from a vendor, an internal team, another adviser or the prevailing industry narrative, we'll tell you.
You may still choose a different course. That's your decision. But you'll make it having heard an independent argument and understood what sits behind it.
NO TECHNOLOGY TO PUSH
Cortessian doesn't sell AI products or take commissions from AI providers. Our starting point is the outcome you need, not a technology we're trying to place.
Sometimes the right answer may be to use AI. Sometimes it may be conventional technology, to wait, change the problem, or do nothing at all. Where implementation is the right answer, we can help put the right capability around it.
02 / CURRENT EVIDENCE
AI advice has a short shelf life
The capabilities, limitations and economics of AI change quickly.
Advice based on what a model couldn't do last year can be as misleading as enthusiasm based on what a demonstration appears to do today.
Cortessian's advice is informed by current research, structured experimentation and practical use of the tools themselves. We test claims rather than relying solely on vendor descriptions or received wisdom.
That doesn't mean chasing every new model release. It means being prepared to change our view when the evidence changes.
03 / WHERE ADVISORY HELPS
Bring us into the decisions that need another view
Proposals and investment decisions
Examine what is being proposed, the evidence behind it, the alternatives and whether the expected value justifies the cost and complexity.
Vendor and technology claims
Provide an independent view when a supplier's claims are difficult to assess from inside the decision.
Agentic AI and automation
Think through where increasing autonomy changes the value, architecture, controls or risks of what is being proposed.
Existing initiatives
Re-examine work already underway when the evidence changes, progress disappoints or continuing has become harder to justify.
A decision that doesn't fit neatly into a category
Bring us the question. We don't need it to fit a predefined consulting product before we can discuss it.
04 / HOW WE WORK
Advice when you need it, not another layer of process
Advisory can support a specific decision or provide an independent perspective over a longer period.
The starting point is the decision you're trying to make. We examine the context, evidence and assumptions, identify what matters and tell you what we think. Where something needs testing rather than debating, we can use research or experimentation to inform the advice.
The level of involvement should match the decision. The objective isn't to create another governance layer. It's to improve the quality of the decisions already being made.
And when a decision needs to become action, we can stay involved — helping shape the approach, bringing in specialist capability where needed, and working alongside the people responsible for delivery.
A specific decision
Independent challenge when an important proposal or choice needs another view.
As decisions arise
Access to an adviser who already understands your context when new questions appear.
Ongoing strategic advice
A continuing independent perspective as your organisation's use of AI develops.
05 / YOUR DECISION
We advise. You decide.
Advice should improve a decision, not replace the person responsible for making it.
We'll tell you what we think and why. We'll identify uncertainty where it exists rather than disguise it. And we'll challenge a course of action when the evidence gives us reason to.
You remain free to agree, disagree or take a different risk.
The important thing is that the decision is informed — and genuinely yours.
06 / THREE WAYS TO WORK
Different AI questions need different kinds of support
Use AI effectively yourself
Practical training in using chat-based AI safely and effectively in your own work.
Explore training →Judge what others are proposing
Build the judgement to assess AI agents, workflows and proposals from suppliers or internal teams.
Explore the workshop →Get help making the decisions
Independent advice on AI strategy, proposals and choices — with support turning decisions into action where needed.
YOU ARE HERE07 / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions about Advisory
Do we have to be an existing Cortessian client?
No. Advisory can begin with a specific decision or question. You don't need to have completed Training or a Workshop first.
Will you tell us which AI product to buy?
We can help assess technologies, suppliers and claims where that's relevant to the decision. We aren't affiliated with an AI provider and don't receive commission for recommending one.
What if your advice conflicts with our existing advisers or internal team?
That can happen. Our role is to give you an independent view and explain the evidence and reasoning behind it, not to manufacture agreement. The decision remains yours.
Can you test a claim rather than just give us an opinion?
Where practical experimentation can materially inform the decision, yes. Our approach combines research, experimentation and practical use rather than relying solely on published claims.
Do you implement AI systems?
Yes. Where implementation is needed, we can bring together the right expertise from our network and work with you through delivery. That might mean specialist engineering, integration or other technical capability. We stay focused on the outcome: deciding what should be implemented, assembling the right team where necessary, and making sure the technology supports what your organisation actually needs.
Can Advisory be ongoing?
Yes. It can support an individual decision or provide continuing independent advice as questions arise. The appropriate arrangement depends on the context and level of involvement required.
NEXT STEP
Bring us the decision
You don't need to turn it into a consulting brief first.
Tell us what you're deciding, what you're being told and where you're uncertain. We'll tell you whether we think an independent Advisory perspective would be useful.
Book a conversation