Beyond the “Overhang”: What’s Really Slowing Widespread AI Use?
Sam Altman calls it the “AI overhang”: the widening canyon between what the models can do today and what most companies actually use tomorrow.
In this Techronicler exclusive, we asked CEOs, CTOs, and founders who’ve shipped AI to millions one blunt question: “What’s really stopping the rest of the world from living inside these tools right now?”
Their answers shred the usual excuses.
It’s not cost, it’s not capability—it’s change fatigue, integration friction, hallucination distrust, black-box fear, and the simple fact that most AI still lives in a separate tab instead of inside the software people already trust.
The overhang isn’t technical. It’s human, cultural, and painfully practical.
Here are the unfiltered truths from the people racing to close the gap before someone else does.
Read on!
Change Fatigue Beats AI Power
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINS AI ADOPTION MORE THAN TECHNOLOGY – The overhang between advanced AI capabilities and everyday adoption stems from organizational resistance to continuous workflow changes rather than technology accessibility or cost barriers.
Through implementing AI across Front Row’s global operations, the biggest constraint involves employee adaptation fatigue where teams master new AI tools only to face another significant capability shift months later.
Traditional technology adoption followed slower cycles allowing comprehensive training and integration, but AI evolution outpaces organizational learning capacity.
Companies struggle because successful AI adoption requires cultural acceptance of perpetual change rather than one-time implementation, which conflicts with human preference for stable workflows and mastered skills.
The adoption gap will persist until organizations develop systems for continuous learning rather than discrete training programs.
AI Still Feels Like a Side Quest
The tech’s already there.
What’s lagging is how we use it.
Too many teams still treat AI like a special project instead of something that belongs in the core flow of work.
The real opportunity now is to make it reliable and ordinary, to let it take on the boring parts so people can focus on judgment, creativity, and ideas.
When AI fades into the background and just helps you move faster or think clearer, that’s when it’s doing its job.
We need products people trust to carry some of the load.
That’s when AI stops being the story and starts being the system.
Beck Kloss
Chief Technology Officer, Scribd
AI Lives in the Wrong Tab
The biggest roadblock for AI adoption is not capability.
Actually, it is context.
Tools like ChatGPT have proven their worth and capabilities, but for the everyday user, the leap from novelty to necessity has not happened yet.
That’s because most of the AI still feels like a separate destination, instead of something integrated into our daily workflows.
AI will remain unused until it becomes a part of the tools we trust and solves problems that we actually face.
At Varyence and Increased.com, we have seen AI adoption skyrocket only after it is embedded into the platforms people are already using and is paired with specific outcomes.
AI won’t be adopted completely until it is only used to impress people with brilliance, without delivering real value, invisibly & reliably.
The minute AI becomes boring is the minute it becomes essential.
Jason Hishmeh
Co-Founder, Increased
No ROI in Days, No Adoption
The PRIMARY adoption accelerator involves demonstrating IMMEDIATE tangible value that businesses can measure within days rather than months – AI succeeds when it solves specific pain points like optimizing message timing or personalizing customer outreach without requiring businesses to understand complex technical implementation.
Small business owners embrace AI rapidly when they see concrete results like 30% higher engagement rates or 2 hours saved weekly on campaign creation, making the technology adoption decision obvious through demonstrated ROI that justifies learning new workflows and integrating AI capabilities into existing operations.
The EXCITING opportunity involves AI democratizing sophisticated marketing capabilities that were previously exclusive to enterprise companies with substantial resources and technical teams.
SMS platforms implementing intuitive AI features enable small businesses to compete effectively through intelligent automation that amplifies their limited marketing bandwidth – business owners discover they can achieve enterprise-level personalization and optimization without hiring specialists or investing months in technical training, creating enthusiasm for AI adoption when implementation barriers disappear through user-friendly interfaces that deliver sophisticated results.
Market leaders recognize that AI adoption accelerates when technology enhances rather than replaces existing successful business practices, building confidence through gradual capability expansion that proves value consistently.
Focus on AI implementations providing instant gratification through measurable improvements in customer engagement, operational efficiency, and revenue generation that create natural momentum for expanded adoption as businesses experience continuous benefits from intelligent automation supporting their growth objectives and competitive positioning in increasingly technology-enabled markets.
Jeremy Boudinet
VP of Growth, Textla
Generic AI Fits No One
The overhang is not about technology limitations.
It is about implementation reality.
When companies come to us after trying off-the-shelf AI tools, the biggest barrier is always the same: generic solutions do not integrate with existing business systems.
ChatGPT successors are powerful, but they are built for everyone, which means they are optimized for no one.
A home services company needs AI that connects to their scheduling system, CRM, and phone infrastructure, not a chat interface that lives in isolation.
From our 20+ implementations, the companies that successfully deploy AI share one trait: they build for their specific workflow, not around a pre-made tool.
The overhang closes when businesses stop waiting for perfect plug-and-play solutions and start investing in custom systems that actually integrate with how they operate today.
Ed Escobar
CEO, Sidetool
Hallucinations Kill Daily Trust
The widespread adoption of advanced AI tools like ChatGPT is constrained because they are prone to factual inaccuracies, “hallucinations”, as well as possess outdated knowledge.
A simple example is if we ask to list 10 digital marketing agencies in Singapore.
There is a high probability that some of the businesses listed are no longer in operation.
So users should always double-check all the facts stated in the result
Razy Shah
Business Director, 2Stallions
Black Boxes Scare Regulated Work
Bridging the AI Overhang:
From my point of view, the overhang between advanced AI and adoption comes down to trust, integration, and usability.
Most users still view AI as a complex black box that lacks transparency and domain-specific validation.
In regulated fields such as laboratories or healthcare, data privacy and compliance barriers slow down deployment even when the technology is ready.
I think the next leap will come with AI technologies that are explainable, secure, and a snap to integrate with the existing ecosystem, as opposed to standalone proof-of-concepts.
The gap resides less in capability and more in confidence, context, and connection to realistic workflows.
Should there be anything else you want to inquire about, you have my personal assurance to get back to me.
Francesc Felipe Legaz
Application Scientist, Berthold Technologies
People Fear AI More Than Outhouses
The “overhang” between advanced AI and everyday use isn’t about technology, it’s about trust, translation, and timing.
Change is scary and change is hard… if you’re unwilling to change.
But as a friend of mine once said… “we all used to use outhouses… I don’t hear anyone dreaming about going back to those days”.
Because AI isn’t magic… but it is like having another person in the room, the one who people are afraid will take their job.
And for those who aren’t willing to adopt, it probably will.
The winners won’t be the ones with the best tools, but the ones who teach them to serve human creativity, not replace it.
Trust Gap, Not Tech Gap
Change takes time, especially when it requires people to work differently.
The real promise of AI isn’t speed or automation; it’s the chance to reshape how work happens.
But that only sticks when two things come together: usability and trust. Usability makes change feel natural.
Trust makes it feel safe. When people understand what a system is doing and they believe it’s working for them, adoption stops being a hurdle and starts being a habit.
The best AI doesn’t ask for blind faith; it earns it through clarity, consistency, and design that respects how people actually work.
That’s when change moves from something we manage to something we embrace, one clear, confident interaction at a time.
Eric Karofsky
Founder, VectorHX
On behalf of the Techronicler community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
If you wish to showcase your experience and expertise, participate in industry-leading discussions, and add visibility and impact to your personal brand and business, get in touch with the Techronicler team to feature in our fast-growing publication.
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