Start an AI Ethics and Responsible AI Consulting Practice

It feels academic, so practitioners stay in research while companies scramble for practical help. New AI regulations keep creating paid work.

1. 1

   Anchor to one regulation

   Pick the rule set your target clients actually fear: the EU AI Act, NYC Local Law 144 for hiring tools, or Colorado's AI Act. 'AI ethics' is abstract; 'audit-ready for Local Law 144' is a purchase order.

2. 2

   Get a recognizable credential

   Earn the IAPP AIGP certification and get fluent in the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Buyers in compliance need a credential they can defend to their boss.

3. 3

   Build a fixed-scope audit offer

   Package an AI system inventory, risk classification, and gap report against your chosen framework as a flat-fee engagement, typically $3,000 to $10,000 for a mid-size company.

4. 4

   Write the policy pack once

   Draft reusable templates: acceptable AI use policy, vendor AI assessment questionnaire, and an incident response addendum. Templates turn a 40-hour project into a 10-hour one.

5. 5

   Land client one in your home industry

   Sell to the industry you already worked in, where you speak the language and know who owns compliance budget. One named client makes the next five conversations easy.

6. 6

   Convert audits into monitoring retainers

   Regulations and model versions change constantly, so offer a quarterly re-assessment retainer. Recurring compliance review is where the practice becomes a business.

Read the full step-by-step guide →