Industries around the world are caught in an AI frenzy, with technology leaders, educators, and corporations pushing forward with adoption plans.
However, alongside this surge is a growing concern over the rise of “AI washing“—a trend that amplifies exaggerated claims about the technology’s capabilities. Since early 2023, the AI race has escalated, but clarity over its true potential remains elusive for many.
What Is AI?
The rapid development of artificial intelligence has led to increasing ambiguity over what truly constitutes AI. Jehangir Amjad, a Stanford lecturer and technology executive from the Bay Area, often poses the question to his students: Was the 1969 moon landing achieved with artificial intelligence?
“I would actually argue, yes, a lot of the algorithms that were part of what put us on the moon are precursors to a lot of what we are seeing today as well,” he explained.
These early algorithms, he notes, are the foundation of modern machine learning and deep learning.
However, Amjad acknowledges the difficulty in defining AI: “The beauty and the dilemma is, ‘what is AI?’ is actually very hard to define.” This challenge has led to a surge of technologies being marketed as AI, even when they stretch the conventional understanding of the term.
The Rush to Adopt AI and the Issue of Misleading Claims
The rush to integrate artificial intelligence tools has led to a rise in misleading claims and technological overstatements, industry experts say. Theresa Fesinstine, founder of AI education firm peoplepower.ai, points to companies marketing basic automation as groundbreaking AI.
“In an effort to look more innovative, companies may tout basic automations or rule-based alerts as exciting new AI tools,” she explained.
Swapnil Shinde, CEO of Zeni, has encountered numerous startups branding themselves as “AI-driven” without the technical backing to support such claims.
“It’s very easy to figure out after a few conversations if the startup is just building a wrap around ChatGPT and calling that a product,” he said. Ed Watal of Intellibus identifies “AI washing” as a growing issue, citing exaggerated claims about tools that promise to fully automate processes like building websites. “It’s not as simple as, oh, you click a button and you have an entire app,” he warned.
The Role of Education in Responsible AI Adoption
The limited public knowledge surrounding artificial intelligence is emerging as one of the biggest hurdles to responsible AI adoption. Theresa Fesinstine underscores the importance of education in helping businesses make informed decisions about AI tools.
“Some basic education about AI can help both companies and their employees navigate the technology landscape,” she said. When organisations lack this knowledge, they may be pressured into adopting tools they don’t fully understand, leading to what Fesinstine calls “predatory” behaviour. She warns that without clear insight, companies risk wasting resources on technologies that do not meet their needs.
Learning from Past Technology Hypes
The current artificial intelligence boom follows a familiar pattern seen with past technologies like blockchain and cloud computing, where early excitement sometimes led to overblown expectations. Ed Watal pointed out the inflated promises surrounding Web3, which failed to meet its revolutionary claims in some respects.
Jehangir Amjad reflected on AI’s historical cycles of hype, noting that while the technology’s promise is real, it’s important to keep expectations in check.
“I think it’s very clear that both the hype and the promise, and the promise of applications is actually pretty real,” he said, while emphasising the decades of groundwork behind AI’s current development.
Managing Expectations of AI’s True Potential
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, but the excitement surrounding it often overshadows its real potential. Jehangir Amjad called for a more measured approach to AI, drawing attention to its long history of hype.
“Yes, it’s come and captured the public imagination. And I’m absolutely thrilled about that part,” he said. “But it’s something that builds upon a very long tradition of these things… the hype cycle has actually existed in AI, at least a couple of times, in the last, maybe, 50 years itself.”
Experts stress the importance of informed adoption and maintaining realistic expectations about what the technology can truly deliver as AI continues to evolve.