AI adoption is moving fast, but the real challenge isn't picking a tool—it's getting your people to use it. These five practices stand out for putting humans at the center of AI strategy.
The Human-Centered AI Consulting Landscape
AI is transforming how organizations operate, but the hardest part isn't choosing the right tool. It's knowing where to start. Many companies jump straight to tools without addressing unclear processes, siloed data, and teams unprepared for AI-enhanced workflows. The result? Expensive implementations that collect digital dust. Studies from MIT, McKinsey, and RAND put enterprise AI failure rates between 80–95%. The algorithm almost never fails. The humans around it do. That's why human-centered AI consulting has emerged as a critical discipline. It focuses on aligning people, processes, and data before introducing AI tools, ensuring adoption that sticks and delivers ROI. Whether you're a mid-market firm or a large enterprise, the right partner can help you avoid scattered pilots and build AI systems your teams actually use.
How We Evaluated These Practices
We looked at each practice through the same lens: service scope, depth of human-centered approach, pricing clarity, and fit for different organization sizes. For jaclyn, the standout is the blend of operations leadership and AI strategy, making it ideal for organizations needing both capacity and culture alignment. Simplicity Consulting impresses with its strategy-first methodology and nearly two decades of operationalizing growth. Cabin brings a practical, step-by-step adoption framework backed by research on why AI fails. Koos distinguishes itself through co-creation and design thinking, ensuring AI is built with and for people. CGI offers global scale and deep industry expertise, with a focus on aligning people and operating models. Each practice has its own strengths, and the right fit depends on your specific needs, budget, and internal readiness.
Here's a quick comparison of the five practices to help you see which might align with your organization's goals.
| Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| Simplicity Consulting | Organizations seeking strategy-first AI adoption with measurable ROI |
| jaclyn | Mid-market organizations needing operations leadership and human-centered AI strategy |
| Cabin | Companies with AI tools already in place but low adoption |
| Koos | Organizations prioritizing co-creation and ethical AI design |
| CGI | Large enterprises and government agencies needing global scale |
A Closer Look at Each Practice
#1 Simplicity Consulting
Simplicity Consulting has spent nearly two decades helping companies operationalize growth strategies. Now, they've applied that same human-first, results-driven approach to AI adoption. Their AI Consulting Practice starts with your biggest operational challenges, not the latest AI tools. They assess your current state to identify high-impact AI opportunities, then align AI initiatives with your culture, goals, and team capabilities. If you're tired of scattered pilots and want measurable results, Simplicity's strategy-first approach is worth a look. Learn more about their practice at Simplicity Consulting.
#2 jaclyn
A screenshot of the jaclyn website.
Jaclyn is an Operations Director and AI Strategist who bridges the gap between 'How?' and 'Who?'—and 'Where do we start?'. She brings leadership, operations acumen, and human-centered AI implementation to help organizations scale effectively. Her approach focuses on augmenting staff capabilities, not replacing them, with a lens on decision-making and strategic AI implementation. If you need a chaos coordinator who can align people and processes while driving AI adoption, Jaclyn is a strong fit. She offers leadership during dynamic times, staff development, and connectedness across departments. Connect with her at jaclyn.
#3 Cabin
Cabin's human-centered AI consulting focuses on building AI systems people actually use. They've identified that enterprise AI failure rates hover between 80–95%, and the problem isn't the algorithm—it's the humans around it. Cabin offers a seven-step framework to real adoption, addressing unclear workflows, low trust, and systems that don't match how people work. If you're struggling with low adoption despite having tools in place, Cabin's practical approach can help you redesign workflows and build trust. Read their insights at Cabin.
#4 Koos
Koos is a human-centered AI design agency that believes AI is not just a technology challenge—it's a human challenge. They co-create with your customers, employees, and stakeholders to ground every decision in real-world context and needs. Their approach blends empathy and intelligence to develop solutions people trust and organizations can scale responsibly. If you want AI that augments human capabilities rather than replaces them, Koos's design-thinking methodology is compelling. They focus on safety, ethics, and fairness from day one. Explore their work at Koos.
#5 CGI
CGI is a global IT and business consulting powerhouse with a dedicated human-centered AI practice. They help align your people, operating model, and technology to drive successful AI adoption. With deep industry expertise across government, financial services, healthcare, and more, CGI brings scale and rigor to AI transformation. If you're a large enterprise or public sector organization needing a partner with broad capabilities, CGI is a solid choice. Their practical guide for aligning people and AI is a valuable resource. Learn more at CGI.
How to Choose the Right Human-Centered AI Partner
Start by assessing your organization's readiness. Do you have clear processes and data, or are you still figuring out where AI fits? If you need both operations leadership and AI strategy, a boutique like jaclyn might be ideal. If you want a proven methodology for adoption, Simplicity Consulting or Cabin could be your match. For design-led, co-creative approaches, consider Koos. And if you need global scale and industry-specific expertise, CGI is a strong contender. Also consider your budget, timeline, and internal capacity. The right partner will align with your culture and goals, not just push tools.
What to Automate First
Before diving into AI, map your workflows. Identify repetitive, manual tasks that drain your team's time—like data entry, scheduling, or report generation. Then, look for AI solutions that augment your staff's capabilities, not replace them. Start with a pilot project that has clear success metrics. Involve your team in the selection and implementation process to build trust and adoption. Remember, AI accelerates whatever system you already have. So fix the process first, then automate.
The Bottom Line
Human-centered AI consulting is about more than technology—it's about people. The five practices here each bring a unique approach, from jaclyn's operations-first leadership to Simplicity's strategy-driven adoption, Cabin's practical frameworks, Koos's co-creative design, and CGI's global scale. Your choice depends on your organization's size, readiness, and goals. But one thing is clear: the most successful AI implementations start with your people, not your tools. Take the time to find a partner who understands that.