AI everywhere: The hype, the misfits, and the inevitable maturity

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. But right now, it’s being added to everything - whether it’s a good fit or not.

I’ve seen this before. When mobile was the big trend, businesses rushed to build apps simply because everyone else was. Most of those apps added no value and quickly faded. When crypto was hot, simple systems that could have been handled by a database suddenly had “blockchain” bolted onto them - just because it sounded innovative.

AI is going through the same phase. A recent MIT report noted that 95% of AI investments generate zero return, usually because they’re solving problems that don’t need AI in the first place. The result is wasted time, wasted money, and features no one uses.

But this cycle is normal. Technologies go from hype → misapplication → maturity. Over time, the buzzwords disappear, and the tech just becomes infrastructure. Nobody says “we use machine learning” when their photos are tagged automatically - they just say “face recognition.” AI will follow the same path.

As the saying goes, "AI is whatever hasn't been done yet". Once it works, it’s just part of the product.

Focus on solving real problems, and the right technology - AI or not - will find its place.