Could AI hype become circle back around to full rejection?

Could AI hype become a circle back around to full rejection? It’s a question that’s quietly bubbling under the surface as the AI frenzy hits what some call the 'trough of disillusionment.' We’ve been here before with tech; think blockchain, the dot-com boom. Even AI winters of the past where expectations balloon, then reality bites, and the hype deflates, sometimes hard.

Right now, generative AI dazzles with promise and panic in equal measure. But history and recent signals suggest that after the hype peaks, skepticism often swings the pendulum too far the other way. Gartner’s hype cycle shows us this pattern: inflated expectations, crash, then eventual steady progress. So, could the pendulum swing from hype to outright rejection? Sure. But it’s unlikely to stick.

The key difference today is that AI is deeply embedded in tools and workflows already. Businesses and developers aren’t ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, many are bracing for a more realistic, nuanced phase. It’s less about rejecting AI and more about cutting through the noise, sorting hype from real capability, and figuring out how to work with AI sensibly.

In short: a full rejection seems unlikely, but a healthy dose of skepticism? Absolutely. The AI hype bubble deflating is less a death knell and more of a maturity marker. The technology, like any, will find its real place; just probably not the sci-fi utopia or dystopia headline writers want.

Companies and individuals are still trying to fund the best uses of AI and the tools that use it.

If you’re feeling whiplash from the hype cycle, you’re not alone. The smart move is to stay curious, stay skeptical, and keep watching where AI can genuinely add value without losing your mind in the buzz.

What’s your take? Are we really heading towards full AI rejection, or just the calm after the storm?