{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The AI Briefing","title":"Why 95% of AI Pilots Fail: The Hidden Scaling Problem Killing Your ROI","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/c580ea56\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":504,"description":"MIT research reveals 95% of AI pilots fail to deliver revenue acceleration. Tom breaks down why this isn't a technology problem but a scaling failure, and provides three critical questions to identify which pilots deserve investment.Show NotesKey Statistics95% of generative AI pilots fail to achieve rapid revenue acceleration (MIT, 2025)8 in 10 companies have deployed Gen AI but report no material earnings impactOnly 25% of AI initiatives deliver expected ROIJust 16% scale enterprise-wideOnly 6% achieve payback in under a year30% of GenAI projects predicted to be abandoned by end of 2025Core Problem: Horizontal vs. Vertical DeploymentsHorizontal: Enterprise-wide copilots, chatbots, general productivity tools Scale quickly but deliver diffuse, hard-to-measure gains Vertical: Function-specific applications that transform actual work 90% remain stuck in pilot mode Three Critical Evaluation QuestionsDoes this pilot solve a problem we pay to fix?Can we measure impact in terms the CFO cares about?Does it require process redesign or just tool adoption?Success FactorsEmpower line managers, not just central AI labsSelect tools that integrate deeply and adapt over timeConsider purchasing solutions over custom buildsBe willing to retire failing pilotsThis Week's Action ItemsInventory current AI pilotsCategorize as: scaling successfully, stalled but salvageable, or stalled and unlikely to recoverApply the three evaluation questionsIdentify specific barriers for salvageable pilotsChapters0:00 - The 95% Problem: Why AI Pilots Aren't Becoming Products0:24 - The Research: MIT, McKinsey, and IBM Findings on AI Failure Rates1:49 - Why Pilots Stall: Horizontal vs. Vertical Deployments3:07 - What Successful Scaling Actually Looks Like4:11 - Three Critical Questions to Evaluate Your AI Pilots5:40 - The Permission to Stop: When to Retire Failing Pilots6:45 - Action Steps: What to Do This Week","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/l4TTMAx4d27sGdvCOPP-6vIhh7U0b5J5SpAWtYmxkvs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yN2U2/ZWY1ODg4MTgwMjk3/MjVmZmZjODNmMjVh/YzFjNS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}