In independent consulting, you ideally need potential clients reaching out to you to achieve high rates/flexibility/exciting work/etc. It is possible to find these cold calling, but it will be more competitive and the work you find might not be ideal initially.
So, I would start by reaching out to past colleagues and friends, letting them know you're available. One of my best clients ended up being a referral from a non-technical friend.
Otherwise, you'll want a strong relevant public presence, e.g. by writing a book, blogging, or making public contributions (Twitter/Stack Overflow/open source/etc). I've even received consulting inquiries solely from a few commits to niche GitHub projects.
IMO the most bang for your buck right now is Twitter. Numerous people have become somewhat well-known post-ChatGPT by tweeting insights about AI advancements (often paired with their own technical projects).
