Code of Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

The Consultant’s Pledge — A One-Page Summary of the IMC USA AI Code

All IMC USA members and Certified Management Consultants® (CMC®) pledge to abide by the Institute’s Code of Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI Code”), adopted by the IMC USA Board in July 2026. The AI Code builds upon and complements the IMC USA Enforceable Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct: all existing duties of integrity, objectivity, competence, confidentiality, and responsibility to clients, the public, and the profession apply in full when AI is used. The use of AI does not reduce, transfer, or extinguish the personal and professional accountability of the consultant. Individual judgment is required to apply these principles. Misuse of AI is treated as a breach of ethical standards comparable to traditional forms of misconduct, and serious or repeated violations may trigger disciplinary procedures under IMC USA’s enforcement mechanisms, up to and including suspension or withdrawal of the CMC® designation.

My Commitment to Human Judgment and Accountability

• I will remain fully and personally responsible for all work products, advice, and impacts, whether or not AI tools were used in their preparation.
• I will subject all AI-supported outputs to meaningful human review and professional judgment before they influence client decisions, public communications, or professional deliverables.
• I will independently verify factual content, calculations, citations, and references produced with AI assistance.
• I will form and maintain an independent professional view and will not subordinate my judgment to AI-generated analysis, however persuasive.
• I will maintain my professional competence and AI literacy through continuing professional development and will guard against over-reliance on AI, particularly in domains outside my own expertise.

My Commitment to My Clients

• I will inform my clients when AI tools materially contribute to my analysis, recommendations, or deliverables, and I will explain, in terms the client can understand, how AI-assisted results were obtained and their key risks and limitations.
• I will not enter personal or confidential client data into AI systems that may reuse, train on, or expose that data unless appropriate contractual and technical safeguards are in place.
• I will comply with client instructions regarding the use or restriction of AI tools, and I will obtain explicit client agreement before using AI in ways that involve personal data, profiling, automated decision-making, or other high-impact applications.
• I will take reasonable steps to ensure that the AI systems I use do not introduce, perpetuate, or amplify bias or discrimination, particularly in work affecting individuals’ rights and opportunities.
• I will favor AI systems that demonstrate appropriate security, robustness, and reliability, and I will not deploy AI in ways that foreseeably produce discriminatory, harmful, or materially misleading outcomes.

My Commitment to the Public and the Profession

• I will not submit unreviewed AI outputs as finished professional work, nor present AI-generated content as entirely my own original work without appropriate review, adaptation, and, where warranted, disclosure.
• I will not use AI to evade or circumvent competence, learning, or assessment requirements, including those relating to the CMC® designation and continuing professional development.
• I will exercise care to ensure that AI-assisted outputs do not infringe intellectual property rights, and I will respect contractual provisions governing the ownership of engagement materials.
• I will consider the environmental, societal, and economic impact of the AI tools I select and will use AI in a manner proportionate to the task.
• I will affirm my commitment to this AI Code as part of my ongoing professional obligations and will raise concerns about AI misuse through established professional channels.

Summary of the Code of Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence for the Management Consulting Profession, Version 1.0, adopted by the IMC USA Board, July 2026. The full Code governs. IMC USA is a member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI).

Disclosure: AI tools were used in the research, outlining, or editing of this work. All arguments, insights, and final content reflect the author’s own judgment and responsibility.