Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword; it has proven to be beneficial for industries worldwide, and companies are looking for ways how they can implement AI in their daily practice.
Companies know the benefits of AI; however, without the correct knowledge and skills, implementing AI into their business can quickly fail, and this is where Change Management can come in to save the day.
A report on The State of AI in 2025 by Atomicwork mentions that a lack of expertise and costs were among the reasons AI implementation failed; however, Governance and compliance were the top barriers to implementing AI.
What is Change Management?
Change management is the structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organisations from a current state to a desired future state. It simply focuses on managing the people side of change to achieve business goals. While technical implementation is often the focus of transformation projects, change management ensures that the human aspect of adoption, engagement, and alignment, is addressed to make the change sustainable. It is, therefore, important for any organisation to have Change management strategies in place for any implementation to be successful.
Why AI Projects Fail Without Proper Change Management
While we mentioned the reasons AI implementations fail, we take a deep dive into the unique challenges that lead to failing AI projects due to the lack of Change Management.
- The Black Box Problem: Many employees view AI systems as mysterious “black boxes” they don’t understand or trust. The state of AI in IT 2025 report shows that 69% of respondents in their survey do not trust AI to make decisions without human intervention. This is a great number of people who need to be reassured that human intervention will always be crucial in AI systems.
- Fear of Replacement: It doesn’t come as a shock that people would resist using AI due to fears of being redundant and AI taking their job; This is indeed a valid concern, however, people who use AI to become more efficient at their jobs are the ones who will stay employed.
- Disruption to Established Workflows: AI typically introduces significant changes to how people work, creating friction.
- Unrealistic Expectations: There is a mismatch between what many people believe or expect AI can do versus what it can do, therefore, this can easily lead to people being underwhelmed by the platform.
- Skills Gap: As previously mentioned, most organisations lack the internal expertise needed to work effectively with new AI tools, and that comes at a staggering rate of 41%, which means without the correct Change management and Training, it would cause a huge issue.
How Integrated Change Management Makes a Difference
At Integrove, we’ve learned a crucial truth over the years: without proper change management, most projects, especially complex AI implementations, are almost certain to fail. No matter how well-designed or technically flawless an AI solution might be, it’s the people who determine its success.
Our approach to AI implementation weaves Change management into every stage of the process:
- Immersive Understanding Phase
Before implementing any AI solution, we immerse ourselves in your organisation’s culture, workflows, and challenges to understand the value AI will add, which teams will be impacted, address concerns, and how existing processes will need to evolve. These insights are needed to design both the technical solution and the human transition strategy.
- Leadership Alignment and Vision Setting
AI implementations require a clear direction from the top. We work closely with leadership to define how the success of the AI project should look, explicitly make clear why this development is important, and, most importantly, manage expectations and create a shared vision for the business.
- Employee Engagement and Communication
Bringing employees on board early is essential for AI success. This is where transparency about the role AI will play, the positive impact on job functions, and opening channels for feedback and addressing concerns will be crucial.
- Hands-on Training and Support
The skills gap is often the biggest hurdle in AI adoption. Our tailored training programmes will focus on equipping employees with the relevant tools and skills to effectively adopt AI in their respective roles.
- Process Redesign and Integration
AI doesn’t simply fit into existing processes, it transforms them. Redesigning workflows, documenting new processes, and integrating the new and the old will smoothen the process. Our integration Services team can advise on the best route to take.
Ready to Transform Your AI Implementation?
If your AI project is struggling to gain traction or you’re planning a new implementation and want to ensure its success, our change management experts can help you navigate the transition with confidence.
Remember: AI technology alone doesn’t create value, it’s the successful adoption and integration that deliver real business impact. With the right change management approach, your AI investment can deliver the transformation it promises.
