Operators’ expectations for artificial intelligence fall

Most new technologies go through a hype cycle: A spark of interest and early investment is followed by a surge of hype, then a crash of expectations as reality sets in. Only over time and a period of work, absorption and adjustment does the technology achieve widespread adoption. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been through several somewhat weak forms of this cycle over the decades, with each cycle leading to the adoption of various early forms of AI and machine learning.

The current cycle has, for various reasons, seemed much more like the real thing. The technologies are more advanced, cloud technologies and system design mean the processing power and databases are cheaper and more readily available, and the opportunities for deployment are much greater. Even so, expectations for AI are falling compared with two years ago, as the cycle plays out.