Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking over routine tasks at Brussels public affairs consultancies, a development that could undermine entry-level employment prospects for junior staff, Euractiv reports. The change reflects that AI can perform quickly and cheaply many activities that previously fell to early-career employees.
What do public affairs consultancies do today?
In Brussels, tens of thousands of consultants help companies and organisations monitor EU legislation, reach decision-makers and represent interests. Much of their work has traditionally involved tracking regulatory developments, collecting public information, and preparing briefing materials and pre-meeting notes — tasks that AI is increasingly able to automate.
Who is most affected?
Because AI is particularly suited to monitoring and briefing tasks, the transformation mainly threatens jobs at the lower rungs of the career ladder. The Brussels labour market is already crowded: many young professionals complete multiple internships without finding permanent positions, so a reduction in junior roles could significantly affect entry-level prospects.
Changing team composition and roles
Mark Dober, writing in a separate publication on AI in public affairs, suggests the Brussels lobbying sector may be somewhat more resilient to technological change than traditional business consulting. Nonetheless, Dober argues AI could free capacity for strategic work and lobbying strategy development, while the future of entry-level jobs becomes less certain.
Team structures may shift: if clients increasingly seek high-value strategic advice from experienced specialists, the prior model of large teams composed of staff with varied experience levels could diminish.
Firms' arguments and technology adoption
Some large Brussels firms already use AI tools for parts of their monitoring work. They contend that automation allows junior staff to spend more time building relationships with political decision-makers, establishing trust, and obtaining non-public policy information — tasks that are harder to automate.
However, most consultancies currently experiment with AI rather than treating it as a core operational element. This is reflected in job ads for juniors, where few explicitly list AI skills as a requirement, even though industry players expect more significant change in coming years.
New entrants and the skills that matter
The shift also creates opportunities for new businesses offering AI-based regulatory monitoring and EU policy analysis. For incumbent consultancies and entry-level candidates alike, it will be important to strengthen competencies that require in-person engagement, negotiation skills and practical knowledge of how decision-makers operate — areas not fully replicable by working at a computer.
Why this matters
AI-driven change could alter the labour market structure in Brussels: while some routine tasks are automated, the value of personal relationships, strategic advice and on-the-ground experience may increase. For juniors and consultancies, this entails adapting by reassessing skills and team composition.
