The technology usually works. The reason why AI projects fail is that companies bolt AI onto broken processes, incomplete data, and decision rights nobody can name.
AI doesn’t fix your culture, it reveals it, and it surfaces every weak spot faster than you expected.
If you’re leading retail AI transformation, the move is to admit what’s broken before you automate it. That honesty is the actual starting line, and it’s the single biggest predictor of whether your retail AI transformation pays off or joins the pile of failed pilots. Understand why AI projects fail and you’re already ahead of most of the market.
Full episode with Julie Averill, author of Chief Impact Officer, is live on the channel.
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*Guest info*
*Julie Averill*, https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieaverill/
Author, *Chief Impact Officer*, https://goldthreadllc.com/book/
from *The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers* #podcast
*S2:E6 AI Isn’t the Problem: Fixing Broken Retail Processes*
*Released on June 16, 2026*
*Chapters*
00:00 Why AI Fails
00:20 Fix the Foundation
00:39 Admit Problems First
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