AI Fatigue: The Hidden Risk of AI Adoption
AI Fatigue: The Hidden Risk of AI Adoption
https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/ai-fatigue-the-hidden-challenge-in-the-race-for-ai-adoption/
Publish Date: 2026-05-14 11:44:00
Source Domain: www.europeanbusinessreview.com
By David De Cremer, Kwong Chan, and Jin Kim
Perhaps it’s unsurprising that even initial enthusiasts for AI, when exposed to the relentless narrative and often-complex issues surrounding integrating the technology into their real-world working lives, have begun to experience a certain weariness with it all. The phenomenon has been christened “AI fatigue”. What’s to be done?
Artificial intelligence has become the defining technological revolution of our era, with organizations across industries racing to integrate AI solutions into their operations. According to McKinsey’s 2025 AI adoption survey, 78 percent of companies now utilize AI in at least one business function, representing a significant jump from just 55 percent the previous year. Even more telling is that 92 percent of executives anticipate increasing their AI investments over the next three years, signaling that AI has transitioned from experimental technology to core business infrastructure.
At first glance, these statistics suggest unbridled enthusiasm for AI adoption. Yet beneath this surface-level excitement, a troubling counter-trend is emerging. For example, an EY survey of 500 senior executives reveals that nearly half report declining organizational enthusiasm for AI integration (Diasio, Gusher, & Kapoor, 2024). At the same time, social media are reporting that companies are starting to experience a backlash from their employees when it comes to the increasing use of generative AI (Slashdot, 2025). And, in our work as consultants, across different industries, we hear similar voices arguing that continuously talking about AI is generating feelings of exhaustion and skepticism among employees and leaders alike.
AI fatigue stems from prolonged exposure to narratives and communication strategies relentlessly talking about technological advancement.
These observations come together in a phenomenon we term “AI fatigue,” which represents a critical challenge…
