95% of GenAI Projects Fail — Here’s How to Be in the 5%

Want to be a part of the cohort of successful GenAI projects?

The headline is sensational — and yes, it’s based on the recent MIT study claiming that 95% of GenAI projects fail.

But here’s the truth: GenAI is more successful than people think. Organizations are achieving impressive results, from automated customer support to AI-driven process optimization. The real problem? Far too many projects fail to reach their full potential, stalling out or never scaling beyond a pilot. And the root cause almost never lies with the technology.

It’s the business processes — and the organizational complexity surrounding them — that quietly undermine success.

The Real Issue: It’s Not the AI — It’s the Process

Executives often believe they can “plug in” GenAI and instantly modernize their business. But here’s the reality:

• Most companies don’t have a clear view of their current workflows.
• Processes are spread across multiple applications, often siloed and inconsistent.
• Teams lack the data-driven visibility to prioritize which workflows should be automated first.

Without this clarity, organizations point AI at the wrong problems, automate broken processes, and create complexity instead of efficiency.

AI can’t transform what you don’t understand.

Why Complexity Kills AI Projects

GenAI initiatives fail for the same reasons most digital transformations fail:

• Incomplete or inaccurate process data: AI is trained on assumptions, not reality.
• No alignment between leadership and operations: What leadership thinks happens on the ground often doesn’t match how work actually gets done.
• Slow, manual discovery efforts: Traditional process mapping takes months, burning time and resources before delivering actionable insights.
• Change resistance: Without visibility and transparency, frontline teams struggle to adopt new workflows.

This is why process intelligence — real-time, ground-truth visibility into how work actually happens — is the missing link for sustainable AI success.

Enter ClearWork: From Chaos to Clarity

ClearWork is purpose-built to close the gap between AI ambition and operational reality.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Automatic Process Mapping

ClearWork tracks actual user activity across enterprise applications in real time, providing a data-backed map of “as-is” processes — no interviews, no assumptions.

2. Deep Process Intelligence

Our platform identifies bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and automation opportunities that would otherwise stay hidden, helping leaders prioritize where GenAI can deliver the greatest ROI.

3. Future-State Process Design

With a clear view of reality, teams can confidently design optimized, AI-enabled workflows that integrate human expertise with intelligent automation.

4. Fast, Seamless Deployment

Forget months-long mapping efforts. ClearWork gets you actionable insights in days, so you can launch, iterate, and scale GenAI initiatives with confidence.

The Playbook for Joining the 5%

If you want to be among the organizations that succeed with GenAI, start here:

1. Map reality, not assumptions
   Use automatic process mapping to capture what’s truly happening across your organization.
2. Prioritize with clarity
   Let process intelligence highlight where GenAI delivers the greatest impact.
3. Design for adoption
   Align future-state processes with real-world workflows and human behavior.
4. Deploy fast, iterate faster
   Shorten the feedback loop and continuously improve with actionable insights.

This isn’t theory — this is the blueprint that ClearWork customers are using to drive transformation with clarity and precision.

The Bottom Line

The promise of GenAI is real. But to realize that promise, organizations must stop treating AI like magic and start building on a foundation of process clarity.

With ClearWork, you gain unparalleled visibility into your operations, empowering you to align AI investments with real-world processes — and avoid becoming just another statistic in that 95% failure rate.

The next generation of AI winners will start with clarity, not chaos. ClearWork makes that possible.

FAQ: Why Most GenAI Projects Fail (and How to Succeed)

1. Why do so many GenAI projects fail?

It’s rarely the AI itself. Most failures come from broken or misunderstood processes — incomplete process data, siloed workflows, slow discovery methods, and poor adoption. AI can’t transform what you don’t understand.

2. What role does process intelligence play in GenAI success?

Process intelligence provides real-time, ground-truth visibility into how work actually happens. With accurate process maps and insights, leaders can prioritize the right workflows, avoid automating inefficiencies, and design AI that scales.

3. How does ClearWork help organizations succeed with GenAI?

ClearWork delivers:

• Automatic process mapping of real user activity.
• Deep intelligence to spot bottlenecks and automation opportunities.
• Future-state design that blends human work with AI.
• Fast deployment — insights in days, not months.

4. What’s the playbook for joining the successful 5%?

• Map reality, not assumptions with automated discovery.
• Prioritize with clarity to target high-ROI use cases.
• Design for adoption around actual workflows.
• Deploy fast, iterate faster with short feedback loops.

5. What’s the bottom line for GenAI leaders?

The winners won’t treat AI like “magic.” They’ll start with process clarity, align AI with real-world operations, and continuously optimize. ClearWork ensures your GenAI investments deliver measurable, sustainable value.