You've got pilots that never scale, tools no one uses, and execs demanding "more AI" without a clear goal.
Welcome to AI Purgatory—the uncomfortable place between expectation and execution. In this piece, we look at how companies fall into the AI trap, but also how they can escape!
A recent Reddit thread on r/ITManagers revealed the very real, very relatable frustrations of tech leaders trying to get AI off the ground. This post pulls together the most potent insights and quotes—plus fundamental strategies to break free.
The 6 Symptoms of AI Purgatory
No Clear ROI
"Actual meaningful ROI is the biggest issue." – u/OracleofFl
It's not that AI doesn't work; the returns often don't justify the cost, complexity, and time involved. Tools like chatbots or customer support copilots might save a few hours or headcount, but they rarely transform the bottom line.
"Big whoop eliminating a few dozen headcounts… while having to add some high-dollar employees to run the AI systems." – u/OracleofFl
In short, you've likely lost the plot if your AI effort needs a team of ML engineers to support something that saves a few seconds per task. ROI must be tangible, not theoretical.
Stuck in Pilot Hell
"AI isn't actually as good under scrutiny as it may seem at first glance." – u/potatoqualityguy
The story is familiar: someone in leadership gets excited about AI, a flashy pilot is launched, but after some testing, results don't justify scaling it—and the project fades into obscurity. Multiply that across five or ten projects, and you'll have an innovation graveyard.
The issue often isn't failure—it's a lack of commitment, or worse, a lack of clarity on what success looks like.
The Use Case Vacuum
"Any time I ask 'what problem do we have that this solves,' the room is eerily quiet." – u/Mindestiny
AI can't be a solution in search of a problem. Even the most advanced tools will feel gimmicky without a real pain point.
Before you spend your precious budget on AI, ask: What are we trying to improve? What's the inefficiency, the friction, the blocker? If you can't articulate the need, you're not ready to implement.
Looking for Copilot use cases? Check out our latest article - Which Copilot? Choosing an AI Copilot for Business Use Cases
The Hype Hangover
“AI is a bubble.” – u/sonofalando
"Just the same s*** like the metaverse. Wait until it's over." – u/swissthoemu
AI is having its "blockchain in 2018" moment. The hype is immense, but implementation is lagging. The result? Disillusionment.
IT teams are caught between unrealistic expectations from above and actual limitations from below. The hype wave sets the bar sky-high, then leaves IT to explain why we aren't seeing miracles.
Security & Privacy Paralysis
"With a database, we could delete data. With AI, how does it unlearn confidential information?" – u/BlueNeisseria
For many organizations, the biggest blocker isn't capability—it's risk. GenAI tools create questions about data exposure that haven't been answered. If ChatGPT or Copilot gets fed sensitive financial data, can you prove it's not stored, reused, or leaked?
Some teams have gone ultra-conservative, banning public AI use entirely. Others are experimenting carefully in sandboxes. However, trust and compliance must be baked in for a large-scale rollout.
Cisco recently launched its security solution for enterprise users, read it here - Cisco Unveils AI Defense: End-to-End Security for Enterprise AI Use
Misunderstood by the Workforce
"40% think copilots are supposed to think for them. 40% think it's just faster Googling." – u/Kitchen-Buddy6758
User expectations are often wildly off. Some think AI will replace their job. Others think it'll fetch data faster. The truth is somewhere in between.
In the latest Techtelligence AI Adoption report, 'Employee Resistance' was cited as the biggest barrier to AI adoption.
AI isn't a replacement for critical thinking—it's a tool that amplifies it. If your users don't know how to ask good questions or verify answers, you'll have poor adoption and even worse output.
The UC Today team recently attended Enterprise Connect to talk about some of the pain points surrounding AI adoption, you can catch up with that coverage here.
Breaking Free from AI Purgatory
Escaping purgatory doesn't require a moonshot. It requires focus, discipline, and empathy. For a public sector use case of how AI can generate clear ROI see our latest interview with Bath & North East Somerset Council.
