Companies drop unprofitable AI projects as costs stay unclear
In brief
According to Ocient, among 500 companies surveyed in the United States, 38% say they see a return on AI, a trend LeMagIT also sees in Europe. Three quarters report that their project costs are rising, and 41% name poor visibility on what they will pay as a main challenge. A quarter of decision-makers have already stopped or paused AI projects with no payoff.
Source : LeMagIT - « L’heure est l’élagage des projets IA peu fructueux »
What it changes for an SME
For an SME with 10 to 250 people, the study is a reminder that an AI project does not automatically pay off. You may see costs rise without knowing the final bill, and without a measurable return. According to Ocient, technical leaders now give equal weight to cybersecurity, financial return, relevance of the results and the cost of scaling, and they add governance and spend tracking. Stopping a project that does nothing useful frees time and budget for work that does.
What you can do
- Inventory your AI projects and record the real cost and any measured benefit for each one.
- Check whether your AI tool invoices are predictable or driven by usage you do not control.
- Before starting a new project, set a stop rule if return or result quality stays insufficient.
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