I’m 23 and I run Harkness AI. People ask what an AI consultant actually does all day. So I filmed one day: a trip from Christchurch to Wellington for a client workshop, a few meetings and a community event.
What does an AI consultant do in a client workshop?
The workshop was the main job of the day. It was a different one for me because it ran in ChatGPT. Every previous workshop was in Claude, but this client already uses ChatGPT heavily and had her information in it, so that was the right place to build.
We did three things:
- Installed custom MCP servers, one for Xero and one for Employment Hero.
- Installed ChatGPT inside Excel, which helped her analyse payrolls.
- Set up a central “AI brain” of company knowledge for the team to work from.
I tried the same MCP connections about six months earlier and they were really hard to set up in ChatGPT. Now it’s an easy process. Before I travel I check that every connection works, because the workshop depends on them. If you want the idea behind this, read how to connect Claude to any business software.
Do you need GitHub to build a company AI knowledge base?
No. I build the AI brain in the shared storage the business already has: SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive. Every business already has some kind of shared knowledge base, so I don’t see the point in giving them a whole new system.
I think going the GitHub route with an existing business is not worthwhile. Using the tools they already know was a huge unlock for this client. We catch up again in two weeks and I keep helping with support after that.
What does an AI consultant do outside the workshop?
Quite a lot of the job is relationships. After the workshop I had lunch with a friend from university who works at a large NZ organisation. Then I met someone from Agentics, a group running AI engineering meetups and a member community across New Zealand. We talked about collaborating with Young Kiwis in AI, mainly because they have a mentorship side.
It’s good to know other people in the space. To see how I think about the role, read what I do as an AI engineer in New Zealand.
What happens at a Young Kiwis in AI event?
In the evening we ran a Young Kiwis in AI event at Trade Me in Wellington. The speakers each had their own take, but the messaging was very consistent. We had about 68 sign-ups and 55 people turned up. Only about 15 dropped off on a free event, which is hard to do.
I rate it close to our best event so far, level with the Zuru one. There was demand for more events like it, and we use them to promote the Young Kiwis in AI conference on 12 February in Auckland, a full day right by the airport. Hiring is a theme in the community too: read what employers hire for.
I also shared a hiring lesson. When I hired a marketing assistant and an AI intern, I asked applicants for a short two minute video. Only nine of about 50 sent one. Talk is cheap, so show something, build something, release something.
What is the unglamorous side of the job?
Travel days are not tidy. I could not find my laptop charger that morning, so I had a plan to log in on the client’s laptop instead. I booked the cheapest rental car, as always, and arrived very early. In the spare time I recorded a rambling “thoughts” video on what I’m seeing across clients, because I want more straight-speaking content. The flight home was bumpy after a windy evening in Wellington, but I made it back.
Looking back, it was one of my favourite travel days. ChatGPT’s computer use in the workshop was a big moment for the client. And I love vlogging this, because filming the cool things I do gives me something to look back on.
If you want to hire an AI consultant yourself, read how to choose an AI consultant in NZ first.
