AI Has a Use Case Problem—Because It Also Has a Practitioner Problem
(And on a Macro Level, Society Has an Imagination Problem)
Let’s dig in.This might be surprising coming from an AI practitioner, but I am a bit of a geek. And I mean that in the true Patton Oswaldian Otaku rant sense of the word. I love my Stars—both Wars and Trek—and probably any other nerdy piece of IP you can think of. So, my apologies to the uninitiated, but we’re going to get a little geeky this week. I promise if you stick with me, it’ll all make sense in the end.The Link Between Imagination and Creation
What we can imagine directly impacts what we choose to create. Star Trek is a perfect example. There’s no shortage of think pieces outlining how the show influenced modern technology—whether it’s this article, this video, or this full list. You get the point.And it’s not just about physical objects. Fiction also shapes broader social concepts, like the normalization of certain marginalized groups.From the iPad to Bluetooth headsets, sometimes a key step in technological advancement is seeing proto-versions of it in art. This is probably why society is so obsessed with humanoid robots. Robots Are Boring
Okay, hear me out. Of course, I have my favorite fictional bots—R2D2 sits at the top of my list because I have two eyes and a heart. But in this current moment, I can’t help but offer up an eyeroll and a deep sigh every time I see yet another demo of the “latest humanoid robot.”Most—if not all—fall squarely into uncanny valley territory. Take this gem from Clone Alpha, or any of these female-presenting bots that, unsurprisingly, almost universally display personalities programmed by men.And then there’s the hype cycle around Figure 1, the humanoid robot from OpenAI. Ultimately, what is cool about Figure 1 is not its humanoid appearance or the servile nature of its tasks but the individual pieces of tech that make it up. Speech-to-text reasoning, persistence, and object recognition are cool. However, using all of those things to create a race of servants is not cool at all. Pardon me for saying it out loud, but humanity can do better.It disturbs me that so much time, money, and effort is spent forming the most advanced technology we’ve ever created into what is essentially a new underclass. Sure, the idea of a domestic bot—something that does your laundry, dishes, and cleaning—is appealing. There’s even an argument that automating household chores could positively impact gender relations, given that women still do the majority of domestic labor.But do we really need a humanoid servant to accomplish that? Wouldn’t it make more sense to use smart objects, such as Roombas, smart fridges, and other integrated IoT devices?What is the key difference between these approaches? Besides a couple billion dollars in R&D, the fundamental difference is this:An IoT approach creates a constellation of human-operated tools that facilitate social and behavioral change.A humanoid approach replaces human labor with…a different labor force.
Not to mention that humans should clean their own spaces. It’s good for mental health, strengthens our connection to our environment and families, and even has a positive impact on mood. Human beings take a long time to evolve, and the creation of a novel piece of technology doesn’t mean we somehow change. Things that help us manage our nervous system reactions to our spaces are important to preserve. The humanization of AI feels inevitable because we have told ourselves that it is inevitable for decades now. The first use of the term robot was in a 1921 Czech play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). In the play, these robots are used to replace human work. They eventually rise up and wipe out the human race. This is a common theme in robot/AI-related art from Asimov to The Matrix. The concept of a robot has long been used as a cautionary tale, critiquing the human desire for domination and subjugation.We’re so hypnotized by past portrayals of AI that we’re not fully exploring what AI could actually do. Humanoid robots are overrepresented in our cultural imagination, and as a result, they dominate our real-world AI ambitions—at the expense of more relevant and socially helpful applications.AI in the Workplace: Misguided Investment and Poor Execution
Credit: Tom Fishburne
Deloitte reports that generative AI, specifically, attracts the most investment across different sectors in IT, operations, and customer service use cases. These investments make sense for the current class of AI tools, which are typically aimed at logistics, code writing, and data handling. Yet 80% of AI projects fail because they are not rooted in workstreams that create value. Consultants overwhelmingly train their clients to chase what is new and next instead of considering specific business needs. Worse, even when good use cases are pursued, stakeholders often misunderstand or misinterpret them. Most importantly, most organizations don’t have sufficient frameworks, structures, or protocols to accommodate the use of AI tools. This is a disaster across the board. This results in bad investments, frustrated stakeholders, and a whole lot of wasted potential.What can companies, consultants, and project stakeholders do to help mitigate these issues? Stay educated about AI. The field moves fast, and workers need to use these tools regularly to understand their limitations and refine their outputs.Root use cases in value. Instead of chasing trends dictated by CEOs or consultants, companies should focus on what supports their workflow.Evolve ways of working. To ensure sustainable integration, organizations need clear review structures, governance policies, and AI management roles.
We need more Toys
Most technology starts out as a toy—because humans learn best through play.Unlike robots, our nervous systems are a key aspect of cognition. Passive states of engagement positively impact education and adaptation to new technology.But AI has yet to have its “cool toy” moment. So far, AI commercialization has been overwhelmingly work-focused. Beyond entertainment, we need imaginative, socially beneficial applications of AI. Here are a few ideas: A Language Ark
Joel Satore’s Photo Ark is a breathtaking and inspiring masterpiece that subtly draws attention to the role of climate change on ecosystems. The National Geographic photographer’s efforts aim to capture images of every living animal; they have currently photographed 16,000 creatures to date. If you have never seen it, please check it out.LLMs create the potential for similar efforts to preserve dead, dying, or rarely encountered languages. Dying languages have fewer than 10 living speakers. Rare languages have more speakers but are not often encountered because they are spoken by people in remote areas or from isolated social groups. Queens, New York, for instance, not only has the most languages spoken in the world but also boasts the highest concentration of dying languages. The New York Times recently published an outstanding article on this subject, which I recommend everyone read. Languages are not just words; they carry knowledge of concepts that sometimes exist only within the culture of their origin. This application showcases AI’s greatest strength: its ability to parse and vectorize language, which could be both inspiring and transformative for the world. Nature Glasses:
We already have smart glasses that can help us contextualize information in a heads-up display. However, the use cases associated with these tools are work-related or tied to commerce in urban environments. Why not bundle AI insight into these tools to help us better understand the natural world? Tools like Picture This identify flowers, Merlin uses smartphone features to help identify birds, and Night Sky helps identify constellations. Why not create smart glasses that help us explore the natural world? Rescue Logistics:
With the LA fires still top of mind, it makes sense to consider how AI would help with the logistics associated with responding to natural disasters. Owing to climate change, we are likely to need such tools on an ongoing basis. Imagine being able to accurately assess where food resources are and manage the logistics of distributing them to needy populations. Or coordinating overall mitigation efforts with machine precision?
AI technologies are powerful and useful. When combined with the power of the human imagination, they can make wondrous things possible. Key Takeaways
We need to imagine more from technology to fully realize its potential. Pop culture, art, and our collective human creativity directly influence what we choose to build and believe in. Right now, AI representations are narrow and stagnant—dominated by humanoid robots and outdated sci-fi tropes. We need bigger, bolder ideas to inspire real innovation.Organizations looking to drive productivity and growth through AI need to do a much better job of best-fitting use cases. AI investment needs massive reform, and consultants need to stop pushing sales-driven hype instead of real education. Fixing this will unlock actual value instead of just more failed projects.Society needs inspiring AI applications that drive real engagement and exploration. AI’s adoption—and its ultimate impact—won’t be shaped by corporate boardrooms alone. We need more play, more wonder, and more creativity in how we interact with this technology.
Some of the most powerful and transformative technologies in history didn’t start out as corporate solutions—they started as toys, art, and experiments in human curiosity. AI needs that moment. If we let imagination lead the way, the results could be extraordinary.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of my employer or any company I have ever been associated with. I am writing this in my personal capacity and not as a representative of any company.
About this Article
As a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I understand the value of strong editorial oversight. While I crafted the initial draft of this article, I recognize that refining complex narratives benefits from a meticulous editing process.
To enhance clarity, cohesion, and overall readability, I collaborated with The Editorial Eye, a ChatGPT-based AI designed to function as a newspaper editor. According to the tool, its refinements aimed to “enhance readability, strengthen argument flow, and polish phrasing while preserving the original intent.”
However, the editing did not stop there. After reviewing the AI-assisted revisions, I conducted a final pass to ensure the article accurately reflected my voice and intent. The AI did not generate new ideas or content; rather, it helped refine my original work.
What you see here is the product of a thoughtful collaboration between human insight and AI-driven editorial support.