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According to a 2025 MIT report, 95% of AI projects fail. Not because the technology doesn’t work, but because adoption fizzles out when the initial excitement fades — wasting millions in investment and eroding trust in the process.
In our recent BetterUp conversation, three leaders came together to unpack why organizations get stuck — and what it takes to move from AI exploration to execution:
- Jolen Anderson, Chief People and Community Officer at BetterUp
- Guillermo Miranda, Global AI transformation leader and BetterUp advisor
- Mercedes (Meche) Escala, SVP of Talent Development at Genesys
The result? A candid, practical discussion of what’s required of people to make AI transformation succeed.
The three traps of AI readiness
1: Believing adoption equals readiness
“If people start using something, it doesn’t mean they are ready. You need to ensure there’s a mindset behind that adoption to sustain it.” — Guillermo Miranda
Early enthusiasm can quickly stall without the right mindset and confidence to sustain change.
2: Relying too heavily on reskilling
Technical skills matter — but adaptive performance is what really enables people to thrive in volatile, AI-powered environments
3: Assuming restructuring equals rewiring
New org charts don’t transform culture. Organizations must “unlearn” old habits and embed new ways of working if they want to make AI stick.
Putting people at the center
Mercedes Escala illustrated what it looks like to avoid these pitfalls at Genesys:
“Start with the people, not the tool. Build trust, give employees the courage to experiment, and the rest will follow.”
That means cultivating skills like critical thinking, creativity, and a growth mindset — and creating communities of practice where employees can experiment and learn together.
The path forward
As Jolen Anderson framed it, BetterUp calls this the AI realization curve — essentially the antidote to the traps above:
- Refuel: your workforce with the right energy and mindset
- Reskill: employees for adaptability, not just technical skills
- Rewire: culture so AI becomes part of daily collaboration and innovation
The message is clear: AI may be the catalyst, but people determine the outcome.
Watch the full conversation for frameworks, real-world examples, and leadership practices you can use to build an AI-ready organization.
