🧠AI OR DIE… OR JUST WASTE A LOT OF MONEY? The Corporate Hype Spiral Is Real
May 9, 2025 — In the 90s, companies scrambled to launch websites they didn’t know how to use. In the 2000s, they bought computers they barely trained employees to operate. Now? It’s AI. The new digital gold rush. And once again, the panic button is louder than the plan.
According to IBM’s latest report, 64% of CEOs confessed they’ve invested in AI purely to avoid falling behind. Not because it fits their strategy. Not because it solves a real problem. But because… everyone else is doing it.
What did they get for their millions? Mostly wishful thinking.
— Only 25% of AI initiatives have hit ROI targets.
— 48% report zero measurable financial benefit.
— Most are hoping for salvation “sometime around 2027.”
Despite the wreckage, 85% still believe it’ll all work out. And half of them are already hiring for roles that didn’t exist two years ago — “Prompt Engineers,” “AI Trainers,” “Synthetic Data Analysts.” Titles that sound futuristic, yet float in organizational limbo.
It’s not that AI isn’t powerful — it’s that too many leaders are chasing headlines instead of outcomes. The tech is real. The progress is massive. But without infrastructure, data discipline, and integration, AI is just a flashy interface with no core.
Just like early internet firms with “.com” in the name, many businesses today think AI equals relevance. But relevance isn’t bought — it’s built. Through experimentation, yes — but also education, iteration, and intention.
To the #AMAGE community:
Is this AI revolution a turning point — or just another case of tools without tactics?
And how many billions must be burned before businesses start asking why, not just how?
