From Hype to Headache: Why AI Fatigue Is Real and How to Fix It

Let’s play with an image for a moment. Imagine being offered your favorite dessert—say, chocolate cake—morning, noon, and night, day after day. At first, you’re thrilled. By day five, you’d give anything for a bowl of plain rice. That’s exactly how it feels with all the talk about artificial intelligence these days: what started out as exciting and new has turned into something many are simply tired of.

It’s no wonder people are experiencing “AI burnout.” Everywhere you look, those two letters are popping up in headlines, advertisements, and product packaging. It’s not just tech news anymore—AI has shown up in gardening tools, kitchen appliances, dog toys, and even toothbrushes. (Yes, there are “AI-enhanced” toothbrushes that monitor your technique. We’ve gone from tracking our steps to tracking our molars.) The phrase “AI-powered” is now slapped onto just about anything as if it’s a magic sticker to boost sales.

It’s gotten to the point where “AI” is less a description and more a status symbol. In business, saying you use AI is like driving up in a luxury car. Instantly, doors open—investors listen, customers lean in, partners take you more seriously. According to Statista, the global artificial intelligence market is projected to hit over $300 billion by 2026, and in 2023 alone, there was a 40% increase in products marketed as “AI-driven.” It’s no wonder everyone wants to hop on the bandwagon, regardless of whether their product truly needs a neural network to operate.

Of course, this leads to some truly hilarious applications. My personal favorite: the “AI-enabled” egg tray that tells you when you’re running low on eggs. Or the smart water bottle that not only tracks your sips but tries to analyze your “hydration trends.” At some point, you have to wonder if we’re solving problems or just making new ones.

Why do people seem to groan every time “AI” comes up in conversation? Part of it comes down to how humans react to overload. When a topic is everywhere—whether it’s a song, a food, or a buzzword—we start tuning it out. There’s also a psychological effect called “overexposure fatigue,” where constant repetition makes us less interested and more annoyed, especially if we don’t feel the direct benefits.

So, what can companies do to keep people interested (or at least not irritated)? One smart strategy is to ditch the buzzwords and focus on the impact. Instead of trumpeting “AI this, AI that,” businesses can talk about what their product actually does: “helps you find lost files,” “translates languages instantly,” “makes scheduling a breeze.” Another approach is rebranding. Some companies have started using terms like “intelligent” or “adaptive” instead, or they describe their products in terms of results rather than technology. Others, like Apple, introduce proprietary terms (“Apple Intelligence”) to give their offerings a fresh spin without overwhelming customers with those now-tired letters.

It’s also helpful to remember that hype usually outruns understanding. Many people started rolling their eyes at “AI” before they’d even had the chance to see how it could help them. The market got crowded fast, and not every product deserved the spotlight. The trick now is to let the useful, thoughtful applications shine through—ideally in a way that feels natural, not forced.

At the end of the day, the best tech quietly fits into our routines. Maybe someday, we’ll stop seeing “AI” advertised on every box and banner, and we’ll just notice life getting a little bit simpler here and there. Until then, let’s try to keep a sense of humor about it all. After all, if my refrigerator starts recommending playlists, I might actually want to hear about it—just not three times a day, every day.