AI Fatigue Is Real: Why Companies Are Stalling and How to Get Back on Track
Nonprofit Hackathon on Sept 6.
The AI hype is loud.
And now? Some companies are quietly hitting pause.
I’m seeing it more often:
Leaders who wanted to jump in… now feel stuck or just plain tired.
AI fatigue is setting in.
What’s Causing AI Fatigue?
Here’s what I’m seeing:
Shiny Object Syndrome
Too many tools, not enough strategy.
Teams bought licenses to 3, 4, even 10+ AI platforms… and then did nothing with them. Why? No training. No rollout. No ownership.
Thinking It’s an IT Problem
This is a big one. Many leaders handed AI off to IT teams: “You handle it.”
But AI adoption is not a tech issue. It’s a human issue.
It’s about behavior change, workflow habits, trust, and culture.
No Clear Use Cases
AI doesn’t stick when there’s not a clear why.
If your people don’t know what it’s for or how it helps them, they won’t use it. Plain and simple.
Fear + Skill Gaps
Most teams haven’t been properly trained. And when people feel behind or worry they’ll “mess something up,” they disengage. Many teams are still stuck in just using AI to ask questions, but not giving it tasks.
AI Fatigue Is Understandable
It’s tempting to pull back when momentum stalls.
But here’s the truth: Waiting won’t make things easier.
The gap between AI-aware and AI-ready is growing fast and companies who sit still are already falling behind.
How to Beat AI Fatigue (Without Burning Out)
1. Recenter Around the Problem, Not the Tool
Ask your team:
What’s taking too much time?
Where are we doing repetitive work?
Where are errors or missed opportunities happening?
AI should solve real problems, not create more of them.
2. Pick Some Quick Wins
You don’t need a 3-5 year plan. You need a win this month. Look at internal AI use cases, not client facing, for quick wins.
Try:
· Cash Flow Forecasting:
Use AI to analyze historical data and project cash flow, giving finance teams clearer visibility.
· Market & Competitor Intelligence:
Let AI tools scan industry reports, financial filings, press releases, and social posts to summarize competitive threats and emerging trends delivering insights in minutes instead of weeks.
· Customer & Prospect Research:
Quickly gather and analyze customer company profiles, recent news, leadership changes, and buying signals to supercharge your sales approach.
· Scenario Planning:
Feed AI your key business drivers, and it can model multiple "what if" scenarios (e.g., pricing changes, market shifts) for smarter planning.
· Customer Churn Prediction:
Run AI analysis on your CRM to flag customers at risk of leaving before it’s too late.
· Supplier Risk Monitoring:
AI can scan news, financial reports, and vendor data to highlight supply chain risks in real time.
· Contract & Compliance Review:
Leverage AI tools to analyze contracts for hidden risks, renewals, or compliance gaps, assisting in legal review time drastically.
· AI-Assisted Sales Targeting:
Prioritize leads by using AI to analyze buying signals, past behavior, and engagement, helping sales teams focus where it counts.
3. Appoint an AI Owner or Task Force
AI adoption dies when “everyone owns it.”
Look for the person who is already tinkering with AI and ask them to be an AI Champion.
Assign a small cross-functional team (not just IT!) to test, train, track adoption, share success and challenges.
4. Build the Human Side
Train people. Talk openly about fears. Celebrate wins.
Help your team see AI as a partner, not a threat.
Before You Back Out… Pause and Reboot
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. But backing out of AI because things got messy is like quitting a gym membership because the first few workouts were hard.
This isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about doing the right things, one use case at a time.
What is one step you can take today?
Inspired by Mike Schuetter's post on AI Fatigue. Thanks Mike! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mike-schuetter-055b1a3_starting-to-see-the-articles-about-ai-fatigue-activity-7340743163520696320-50Tx/
Proving Ground by The Circuit
Submit your AI use cases by July 18 if you are looking for assistance in your AI project. The project will be built by professionals and provided up to $100,000 in funding for the development. Must be in the Greater Cincinnati region to apply. No fee to apply. This is a wonderful opportunity. Best of luck to you all!
Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit Hackathon
Nonprofits submit your use cases by July 15.
We are moving at the speed of AI with this incredible team from Disruption Now and many volunteers from the CincyAI community are leading an in person nonprofit hackathon on September 6.
The Future of Data Hackathon is a one-day event and the precursor to MidwestCon, bringing together teams of students and professionals to help Cincinnati-area nonprofits solve real technology and data challenges.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iP8r1bPa5ztnDBObM8qavkUlGqsF80nZDNcGeOwKfm0/edit
2025 AI Adventures
New events are added weekly. Since our community spans over 32 states, we’re making it easier than ever for you to join the conversation from anywhere. These virtual sessions are designed to be interactive and packed with real use cases you can apply immediately.
July
July 14 -16 Black Tech Week https://blacktechweek.com/ in person event in Cincinnati, OH. Emmy-winning actress, producer, and founder of KeyTV Network, Keke Palmer, will be the keynote. One goal in mind: to connect entrepreneurs and technologists to game changing resources, knowledge, investors and most importantly - one another.
July 16 Technology First AI Simplified Workshop from 8:30-10:30 in person in Dayton, OH. Bring your laptop. https://www.technologyfirst.org/event-6074735
July 17 Women Leaders in AI panel from 4-6 pm https://4atc.com/ai-aged-vines-women-in-tech-connect/. Small group discussion and sharing successes and challenges.
July 24 Fort Thomas Google Marketing and AI for Social Media from 12-1 in person. https://business.nkychamber.com/events/Details/fort-thomas-business-council-merging-google-marketing-with-ai-for-social-success-1267924?sourceTypeId=Website
August
August 5 CincyAI from 3-5 EST at UC Digital Futures building. Free to attend. In person only. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1344523669489?aff=oddtdtcreator
August 12 Miami Valley HR 11:15-1 in Dayton, OH https://mvhra.mightevent.com/events/event-Details.cfm?eventKey=8054
August 13 Crossroads Impact Summit for Nonprofits
September
September 2 CincyAI from 3-5 EST at UC Digital Futures building. Free to attend. In person only.
September 6 Nonprofit Hackathon- Nonprofits submit your use cases by July 15. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iP8r1bPa5ztnDBObM8qavkUlGqsF80nZDNcGeOwKfm0/edit
September 10-11 MidwestCon https://midwestcon.live/. This conference is gathering the top innovators, policymakers, creators, and visionaries from across the globe to tackle today’s emerging tech challenges.
September 18 Best in Tech Awards hosted by The Circuit from 5-9 pm https://thecircuit.net/event/best-of-tech-awards-2/
I love answering your AI questions. Feel free to message me.
Where AI and inspiration collide!
Kendra Ramirez
KendraRamirez.com
We provide AI Speaking and Training, AI Readiness Assessments, AI Strategy, AI roadmap and implementation, and AI Coaching for small to mid-size businesses and nonprofits.
**For those new to my work, I have been in tech my whole career. Over 15 years of running my digital agency (website, social media, and lead generation) and 7 years of helping businesses navigate AI. Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of leading over 100 training and speaking sessions, empowering businesses to embrace the transformative potential of AI. My passion lies in simplifying complex technologies to help organizations grow, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
I am so excited that you are on this journey with me! Thank you! 🤗
I have been writing weekly about AI here for over two years. You can search all of my enewsletters here if you are looking to brush up on a certain topic. kendratech.substack.com