Breaking the AI hype cycle

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Businesses need to figure out where AI fits in for them before they fall behind

The words ‘Breaking the AI hype cycle’ with the words ‘AI hype cycle’ in yellow and the rest in white. They are set against an artistic representation of AI development, with abstract shapes and red signs with crosses, green signs with arrows, and harsh perspective lines in the shape of a tunnel. The ITPro podcast logo is in the bottom right corner.
(Image credit: Future / Google DeepMind)

AI is not a new technology, but recent advancements have put it in the spotlight. Among all the tangible benefits the technology can bring, it’s also surrounded by a substantial amount of hype.

The tech sector is no stranger to hype, with virtual reality and the blockchain also having been subject to strong hype cycles. In 2022, someone may have earnestly told you the metaverse was the next big trend in business tech, and yet now Meta is the last vestige of a technology the world has moved on from.

But how far is generative AI into its hype cycle, and what predictions about the technology will ring true five years from now?

In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Michael Conway, executive partner at IBM Consulting for Data, AI & Technology Transformation Service Line, to explain where we are in the lifecycle and hype cycle of AI.

Highlights

“Are people overselling the potential? Absolutely. I think that happens in any gold rush, right? You pretend there's gold everywhere when you know there's only gold in the pockets. And really, the ones that make their money on the way are the ones that sell the shovels or the picks to the ones trying to find the gold everywhere, but the ones that make the long-term money are the ones that find the wells.”

“I struggle with the concept that we just need to sort the data out. That's a really convenient excuse. Being able to use this to transform your data is a massive, I think, overlooked opportunity. The garbage in garbage out principle still exists, if you put rubbish in you still get bad outcomes, but I think there's value in the niches where if you understand the problem set, you can really apply this technology to help you have to fix it.”

“The one thing that I would say is, now's the time to explore it. Because if you're not exploring now, I genuinely think it's one of those things that you will be left behind.”

Footnotes

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Rory Bathgate
Rory Bathgate
Features and Multimedia Editor

Rory Bathgate is Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. He can also be found co-hosting the ITPro Podcast with Jane McCallion, swapping a keyboard for a microphone to discuss the latest learnings with thought leaders from across the tech sector.

In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing, and good science fiction. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in English and American Literature, Rory undertook an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, following four years in student journalism. You can contact Rory at rory.bathgate@futurenet.com or on LinkedIn.