Knowledge
How do you recognise a good AI expert?
'AI expert' is not a protected professional title — anyone can use it. Reliable criteria are: solutions that run in production today, documented reference projects with numbers, open pricing, source-code handover, and precise answers to GDPR and AI Act questions. Day rates of €1,500 to €3,000 are common in the market; fixed-price building blocks make the costs plannable.
Five criteria you can verify
Titles and self-descriptions don't help you choose. These five points, on the other hand, can be checked in any first conversation.
- Production projects, not demos. Ask about solutions that are in use today — and for how long. A proof-of-concept that never went into operation is not evidence.
- References with task, solution, and result. Documented projects say more than logo walls. Measurable results — throughput time, error rate, hours saved — are the strongest evidence.
- Open pricing. Whoever can estimate effort can name prices. Evasive answers to the cost question are a warning sign.
- Source-code handover. A provider who hands over the code doesn't lock you in. Ask who owns the code at the end.
- Precise GDPR and AI Act answers. 'We do it GDPR-compliant' is not enough. Where are the data processed, on which legal basis, in which AI Act risk class — that has to be answered precisely.
What AI experts cost
Freelance AI consultants and consultancies usually bill day rates; €1,500 to €3,000 per day is common in the market. That fits strategy and training formats, but it makes implementation projects hard to budget: the risk of open ends sits with you. The alternative is fixed building blocks with a defined result — at appDev, the Discovery for a one-off €1,900 (feasibility assessment plus a binding fixed-price quote, fully creditable) and the fixed-price pilot from €39,000 (production-ready, integrated software with source code).
The questions to ask in the first conversation
Five questions whose answers you can evaluate without technical knowledge.
- 'Which of your solutions runs in production today — and since when?'
- 'Who owns the source code at the end of the project?'
- 'Where exactly are our data processed?'
- 'What does the first step cost, and what do we get for it?'
- 'What do you advise if our idea turns out not to be viable?' — A reasoned no is part of a solid answer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does an AI expert do?
They work out where AI creates value in your company, select methods and models, and implement solutions — from document processing to internal knowledge search. What matters is whether they build, integrate, and operate production software alongside the advice.
What does an AI expert cost?
Freelance AI consultants and consultancies usually bill day rates of €1,500 to €3,000. The alternative is fixed-price models: at appDev, the Discovery for a one-off €1,900 and the pilot from €39,000 — the price is fixed before you commission.
Is there a certification for AI experts?
'AI expert' is not a protected professional title, and no generally recognised professional certificate exists. Production reference projects, measurable results, and the willingness to name the limits of their own offer say far more.
Do we need to hire an AI expert full-time?
Usually not to get started. A scoped first use case can be implemented externally as a fixed-price project; your own staff pays off when AI becomes a permanent core of your value creation. Source-code and knowledge handover keep both paths open.