The Gen AI Divide: Why Hype Won’t Cut It Anymore

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been dominating corporate strategy conversations, with billions invested and countless announcements made. Yet, for many customers and employees, the day-to-day experience does not seem to have changed in meaningful ways with the advent of generative AI (gen AI).  

The Gen AI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025, a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explains why, and, perhaps more importantly, offers guidance on how to move forward. According to the report, while enterprises spent between 30 and 40 billion dollars on gen AI in 2024, 95 percent of projects did not progress beyond early pilots, leaving limited visible impact. Only a small proportion were deployed into production environments where they could deliver measurable value. 

At first glance, these numbers may seem discouraging. But they serve as a valuable blueprint. The real lesson is not that AI has failed, but that the way it is being implemented and communicated must change. Announcing that an organization “uses AI” is no longer enough. The focus needs to be on how AI is improving lives,  whether that means faster services, simpler processes, or more reliable outcomes. 

MIT’s findings also highlight an important dynamic inside organizations. While only 40 percent of companies have formal subscriptions to enterprise AI systems, more than 90 percent of employees are already using personal AI tools at work. This reveals not resistance, but enthusiasm. Individuals are turning to AI, because it helps them do their jobs better. For leaders, this is a reminder that communication should reflect what people actually experience, not just what organizations hope to signal. 

The study also shows that most budgets are being directed toward sales and marketing pilots. These initiatives are highly visible, but they do not always translate into long-term impact. The strongest results, by contrast, come from less publicized areas such as compliance, back-office automation, and operational efficiency. These may not generate the biggest headlines; yet, they provide the clearest examples of AI delivering real value. 

A flight rebooking process reduced from 40 minutes to five, or a banking dispute resolved in a single call instead of several, tells a stronger story than any announcement of a pilot project. These are the kinds of changes that resonate with the public, because they speak to time saved, frustration avoided, and trust gained. Customers rarely remember a press release announcing a new system, but they remember the ease of resolving an issue quickly. Employees rarely celebrate the launch of another pilot, but they value tools that remove repetitive tasks and let them focus on higher-value work.  

This is where the need for better communication around AI becomes clear. It is not about explaining the technology itself, but about translating it into experiences people can recognize in their daily lives. The public relations (PR) language needs to shift from technical terms like “large language models” or “generative capacity” to simple, outcome-oriented phrases: faster, clearer, easier. When leaders frame AI in this way, they not only build credibility but also create broader acceptance of the technology. 

The MIT report is therefore more than an assessment of current challenges. It is a guidepost for the future. It shows that investment must be tied to outcomes, and communication must be grounded in proof of impact. The organizations that succeed will be those that demonstrate not just that they are using AI, but that AI is making life easier, faster, and more efficient for the people they serve. 

About the Author 

Loredana Matei is the founder and Executive Director of Jensen Matthews PR.