Why Most AI Projects Will Fail — And How to Find the Companies That Won't

About this episode

Steve Lucas discusses the challenges facing AI projects and how to identify successful companies in the AI space.

ROI supersedes AI. That's the blunt verdict from Steve Lucas, Chairman and CEO of Boomi, who has spent 30 years at the top of enterprise software. With OpenAI burning $3 billion a month and Gartner projecting that up to 40% of enterprise AI projects will be abandoned by 2027, the blank-check era for AI spending is over — and the reckoning is coming faster than most investors realize. Motley Fool analyst Rachel Warren sits down with Steve to unpack what Wall Street is missing: why the next wave of AI winners won't be the flashy model makers, how to spot the difference between a real AI strategy and expensive spin, and the single metric that separates transformative technology from hype. Host: Rachel Warren Guest: Steve Lucas Producers: Bart Shannon, Lauren Budabin Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks…

People in this episode

Host: Rachel Warren

Guest: Steve Lucas

Topics covered

• AI projects
• investment strategies
• enterprise software
• technology trends
• business analysis

Keywords

• AI
• investment
• enterprise software
• ROI
• technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boomi, OpenAI, Gartner, The Motley Fool

More episodes of Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing

• GE Aerospace Goes Vertical (Integration) · September 8, 2026 · 22 min
• Bloom Energy’s “Time-to-Power” Moat · September 7, 2026 · 29 min
• Purpose, People, and Core Pursuits: Key Ingredients to a Happy Retirement · September 6, 2026 · 25 min
• How Much Does It Take to Be Happy in Retirement? · September 5, 2026 · 21 min
• Tesla’s Robotaxi Non-Event & GPT-6 Is Here! · September 4, 2026 · 41 min
• Is the Data Center Investing Trend in Trouble? · September 3, 2026 · 25 min