Council Post: The All Or Nothing Trap: How AI Fatigue Is Warping Executive Judgment

AI fatigue is reshaping executive judgment, argues Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, in a Council Post that reframes AI as a leadership question rather than a technological one. The piece defines AI fatigue as cognitive exhaustion from repetitive messages without clear action, driving extremes in thinking: ‘all’ or ‘nothing.’ It contrasts opposing stances—wait-and-see versus urgency—citing Stanford’s 2025 AI Index (78% adoption in 2024), McKinsey’s 2025 global survey (62% experimenting with AI agents), and IBM’s 2025 CEO study (only 25% of AI initiatives delivering ROI, 16% scaled enterprise-wide). The author urges balanced strategy, noting the risk of disengagement when leaders rely on hype or fear and stressing that AI is too important to ignore but too immature to worship.