How do I choose an AI implementation partner in Australia?

Choose an AI implementation partner who will put a dollar figure on the problem before they sell you a build, and who will work with your team rather than disappear after a report. Ask who they report to, how they handle personal information, and what they would tell you not to buy. At Versantly, that work starts with the 45-minute diagnostic.

How to choose an AI consultant in Australia?

Judge an AI consultant first on whether they will put a number on the leak before they propose a tool, a team, or a programme of work. Then ask who they report to, what they would tell you not to buy, and what your people will still be able to run if the engagement ends. A partner who cannot answer those questions is selling a build, not helping you choose.

The National AI Centre's "Choose a solution" guidance says there is no single right solution, and that the aim is to choose the simplest option that meets your needs. Your business remains responsible for how AI is used, whoever you bring in. I would still start with a dollar figure, as I set out in Where should I start with AI in my Australian business?.

A Fractional Chief AI Officer is one way to get senior help without creating a permanent role. I defined that work in the earlier article. Doing the work yourself, hiring a large consultancy, or making an internal hire can each be the better move in the right conditions.

When is doing it yourself with ChatGPT or Claude the better choice?

Doing it yourself with a tool such as ChatGPT or Claude is often the better choice when the work is contained, the impact of a mistake is low, and you are testing whether a tool even helps. The National AI Centre notes that many organisations begin with existing tools, and that standalone tools can fit low-risk tasks. That is a fair starting point.

It is a weaker choice when you cannot say what the work is costing, when personal information is going into a public tool, or when your team has to run a redesigned process afterwards. You remain responsible for how the tools are used. I covered staff use and the Privacy Act in the Privacy Act article, and I will not repeat that here.

If the 45-minute diagnostic shows the leak is small, or that a simpler fix is enough, I would rather you keep using a tool you already have than hire a partner you do not need.

When is a large consultancy the better choice?

A large consultancy can be the better choice when the work is already large, cuts across many systems, and you want a bounded programme with the depth of a big team. If you already work with a firm like that, and the brief is genuinely of that scale, it can be a sound way to proceed.

The trade-off is what you are left with when the project ends. Some of that work finishes with a report, or with a build your people cannot run without the same firm staying on. For a mid-sized firm, a large programme can also be more than the problem is worth if you do not yet have a dollar figure on the leak.

When is an internal hire the better choice?

An internal hire is the better choice when the AI work is already large enough to justify a permanent role, and you want that person on staff every day. I have already written about that choice in Should I hire a full-time Chief AI Officer or a Fractional Chief AI Officer?. I will not repeat that argument, or that checklist, here.

The trade-off is timing. Hiring before you have a number on the leak can create a role around work you have not yet priced. Starting with a clearer figure does not stop you hiring later, if the work then justifies it. The 45-minute diagnostic is how we get that figure.

What questions should I ask before I sign?

Ask for a dollar figure on the problem first. Then ask who is accountable once the work is live, how the system has been tested for this kind of use, what happens to your data, and what you would still have if you walked away. If the answers are vague, do not sign.

The National AI Centre's Questions to ask AI suppliers, listed as published on 22 April 2026, is a useful official list. You do not need to ask every question. Focus on those most relevant to the task, especially where the impact is higher.

1. Who is accountable once the system is live: you, the supplier, or any subcontractors?
2. How has it been tested for this type of use, and can they show evidence rather than assurances alone?
3. Will your data be used to train models, where is it stored, and what happens to it if you leave?
4. Can the system be paused or switched off, and can you export your data if you leave?
5. What would they tell you not to buy, given the number on the leak?

The first four sit close to that guide, and to the Centre's implementation guidance of 5 May 2026, which says to request test methodologies and results from a provider. The fifth is mine.

On personal information, ask the question, then read the Privacy Act article rather than have me restate it. If a partner begins by selling a platform, they have already made a choice for you.

Do not accept a plan with no handover. Get scope and exit terms in writing before you start.

What does the 45-minute diagnostic cover, and what can follow?

The 45-minute diagnostic is the first meeting. We work through your numbers with you and, if it helps, whoever runs operations. You leave with a dollar figure on what the leak is costing you. If it's small, we'll say so. We don't talk price until you have that figure.

If the number points to doing the work yourself, a large consultancy, or an internal hire, we will say that. If you want help after that, a Fractional Chief AI Officer advisory can follow. The advisor builds the AI roadmap with you. The advisory page is for that later work.

Put a dollar figure on the problem

Book the 45-minute diagnostic and leave with a dollar figure on the leak, before you choose a partner or spend more on AI.

Author

I'm Johnny Sukkar, founder of Versantly, which is operated by Lycaon Media Pty Limited (ABN 22 671 975 983). I've been in lending since 1990 and in broking since 2008, and I've been building and running AI workflows inside my own brokerage since 2023.