Why Companies “Play with AI” But Rarely Implement It for Real And what sets apart those who actually win with it These days, it’s hard to find a business that isn’t talking about artificial intelligence. Presentations, pitches, reports, strategies — AI is everywhere.But dig a little deeper, and in 80% of cases, it’s just for show. There are no real implementations, no measurable results — just talk.Why is this happening? Despite the accessibility of the technology, many businesses still struggle to get started. The AI Paradox: Everyone Talks, Few Implement Entrepreneur and AI founder Dmitry Karpov calls this stage the “zero cycle of maturity”: “Today, AI is like a gym membership. Everyone’s bought one, but hardly anyone actually goes.” One of his slides cites a study of large corporations: 85% of companies are experimenting with AI But only about 10% have real production use cases In critical areas like HR, legal, and finance — there are virtually no full-scale deployments But why? 1. AI ≠ a Fancy Dashboard The first mistake: seeing AI as a “magic button.” Expectations are sky-high, understanding is surface-level.So companies build MVPs, run pilots, do integrations — and then… nothing happens. The reality: AI is not a product — it’s infrastructure. Its value only emerges when deeply embedded into real business workflows. 2. No Real Business Need — Just Hype One of the most common requests: “Build us a bot like OpenAI’s.” Why? What business outcome will it improve?Silence. What works: Start with the question:“What could we improve in our business with AI — in a way that impacts revenue, time, or quality?” AI for the sake of AI is like a car with no steering wheel — looks powerful, goes nowhere. 3. Lack of Infrastructure Many companies try to integrate AI into processes that… don’t actually exist. Like a “bot to analyze the CRM” — when the CRM is only 20% filled out, and half the data lives in Google Docs.Or “automated marketing” — without a content database or clear success metrics. AI only amplifies what already works. It doesn’t build systems from scratch. That’s why it demands maturity — even if only in one focused area. 4. People Aren’t Ready AI is intimidating — and that’s normal.Employees fear layoffs.Managers fear losing control.Executives fear being responsible for uncertain experiments. What helps: Explain that AI doesn’t replace people — it redistributes workload Launch first projects that support specific teams Let people experiment, explore, and see the value firsthand AI isn’t just about code — it’s about culture. 5. Wrong Level of Implementation There are two ways to approach AI: Bottom-up: Automate tasks Invoice analysis Responding to customer queries Aggregating data from multiple systems These cases are simple, useful, and deliver quick ROI — but their impact caps out at 5–10% efficiency gain. Top-down: Automate business goals Grow revenue Shorten sales cycles Improve diagnostic accuracy in healthcare Companies that truly win with AI start with the goal, not the tool.They don’t ask “What kind of bot should we build?”, they ask:“How can we grow revenue by 20% while doing less?” What Sets Real AI Leaders Apart A strong product or tech founder/CTO who connects business and tech A clear problem with measurable results Flexibility: test → adapt → scale Focus on value today, not disruption tomorrow Where AI Is Already Delivering Results Sales: uncovering untouched leads, nudging reps, improving scriptsMarketing: personalized landing pages, content refreshes, audience segmentationHealthcare: protocol compliance tracking, avoiding insurance penaltiesLegal firms: contract pre-analysis, draft generation, anomaly detectionReal estate: property recommendations, automated communications We’re Still at the Beginning AI isn’t a hype wave. It’s a new operating system for business.But like any OS — it needs apps, processes, and users to make it work.The question isn’t if you should use it.The question is: When will you start using it for real? Ready to move from talk to action? Join the San Francisco Innovation Hub Bootcamp —We help entrepreneurs: Identify where AI can bring the most value Find the right partners and integrators Move from theory to real-world implementation. Join
