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By Pavel Yurovitsky, CEO of KIT Global
Despite all the buzz, industry experts have been pointing out for the past year that nearly three out of four companies struggle to extract meaningful value from AI adoption.
However, I don’t believe the issue lies with AI itself. The technology is solid and evolving rapidly. The real challenge is that many companies simply aren’t prepared to maximize AI’s potential. Let’s explore why that is.
The AI Dilemma
Businesses worldwide are investing heavily in AI, yet many aren’t seeing the returns they anticipated. Cybersecurity risks, shifting regulations, and talent shortages all contribute to the struggle. Employees worry about job security or find it difficult to integrate AI into their workflows, while executives often struggle to quantify AI’s impact, making it harder to justify further investment.
However, these challenges are secondary to the biggest obstacle: AI’s actual performance.
AI models are only as strong as the data they’re trained on. Left unchecked, they can hallucinate, perpetuate bias, and produce unreliable results. Without ongoing fine-tuning, AI can generate outputs that seem impressive at first glance but ultimately erode trust.
At the core of the issue is how businesses perceive AI. Those that treat it as a plug-and-play tool often end up frustrated when it doesn’t “just work.” The key to unlocking AI’s full potential? Continuous training and refinement—just like you would with any employee. Let’s break that down.
Adopting the Right AI Mindset
Many organizations still view AI as a mere tool—an automation system designed to streamline tasks. But the latest iteration of AI, known as agentic AI, takes it a step further. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on human prompts, agentic AI can make decisions, take action, adapt to new information, and operate with a degree of independence. Over time, this kind of AI won’t just execute commands; it will anticipate needs, problem-solve, and even collaborate.
Think of it as a junior employee. It won’t replace key decision-makers, but it can handle routine tasks, analyze data, and suggest strategic next steps—freeing human workers to focus on more complex challenges.
So if this technology is so advanced, why aren’t businesses seeing its full impact? The answer lies in culture. Successful AI integration requires a shift in mindset, ensuring that companies rethink their approach and communicate a clear strategy to their teams.
First, AI isn’t meant to replace employees—it’s designed to enhance them. Organizations that frame AI as a threat will struggle with adoption. Instead, businesses should position AI as a support system, helping employees offload repetitive tasks so they can focus on strategy, creativity, and innovation.
Second, collaboration across departments is essential. AI shouldn’t be confined to IT. Companies that successfully implement AI bring together teams from operations, marketing, legal, and HR to ensure AI aligns with broader business objectives and compliance standards.
Lastly, AI performance must be continuously monitored and improved. Just as employees undergo performance reviews, AI systems require regular evaluation. If companies fail to track AI’s impact, they risk pouring resources into technology that looks impressive but doesn’t actually move the needle.
Once businesses establish the right culture, they’re in a strong position to start integrating AI effectively.
Onboarding AI
When I talk about onboarding AI, I’m referring to setting clear role definitions from the outset. AI needs specific objectives—just like any employee. What challenges is it designed to address? How will success be measured? Companies that deploy AI without well-defined goals often end up disappointed by ambiguous or underwhelming outcomes.
Treating AI as an employee also means prioritizing ongoing learning and development. AI models improve when exposed to high-quality, relevant data. On the flip side, AI left without oversight tends to degrade over time. Instead of assuming AI is “good to go” right out of the box, businesses should refine its outputs, correct errors, and continuously optimize it to fit their evolving needs.
Additionally, businesses must implement proper oversight and accountability measures. AI shouldn’t operate in isolation. Just as managers guide and assess employees, AI requires human supervision to catch potential biases, prevent misinformation, and ensure it delivers reliable results.
The AI Workforce of the Future
AI isn’t just transforming business operations—it’s reshaping the workforce itself. Companies that see AI as just another software implementation will likely miss out on its full capabilities. But those that treat AI as an evolving, adaptable team member—one that requires training, refinement, and well-defined expectations—will unlock its true potential.
