Shiny hammers
Most times AI is included in any workflow, it's purely performative. Many businesses are too eager to wield the hammer before they've found any nails. Every company that uses AI thinks they're the only ones doing it.
You aren't on the cutting edge anymore. The circle's gotten so big you're reverting back to the center. How often do you encounter an AI-generated image? Or copy that that's clearly been run through a prompt? Often the knowledge that AI was behind a touchpoint can be deflating.
Take Philippine Airlines running an article with AI-generated images. Where it would've been interesting to get authentic interpretations from local artists and travelers, passengers are treated to images that take no effort to create. There's enough junk food on the trolley cart, really.
AI isn't just a hammer now. It's a sieve.
It's revealed to us that the things that really matter are the things that can't be delegated. The things that don't scale: craftsmanship, care, and unreasonable hospitality.