From Hype to Value: Navigating AI with Lucky Nkosi

The artificial intelligence landscape has shifted dramatically over the past few years. Once the domain of closed research labs and academic circles, AI has broken into the mainstream, capturing global attention and boardroom agendas alike. Few people can explain this transformation with as much clarity as Lucky, the executive leading BBD’s Advanced Technology Centre (ATC). In their recent BBD Tech Unboxed podcast, Lucky sat down to unpack not just the hype but the reality of where AI stands today and where it is headed next.

Riding the Hype Cycle

But hype, as Lucky points out, only carries us so far. “We have already passed the peak of inflated expectations,” he notes, citing data such as the MIT study showing that 93 percent of enterprise AI projects fail outright. Consolidation is underway, investors are pressing for results, and the industry is sliding into what Gartner calls the trough of disillusionment.

Yet this is not a bad thing. In fact, it is where the real work begins. For Lucky, this is the moment to separate the noise from the signal and focus on responsible, value-driven implementation. “We are going to see a lot of investments proving not to be fruitful,” he says, “but what is important for everyone now is to invest responsibly”.

Filtering the Noise

One of the most practical tools Lucky shares in the podcast is what he calls the time filter framework. It boils down to three deceptively simple questions when evaluating any potential AI use case:

• Is this a task that absolutely needs to be done?

• Can it be automated?

• Can it be delegated?

By running projects through this filter, organisations can avoid the trap of adopting AI for the sake of adopting AI and instead focus on the areas where the technology can actually create measurable value.

Beyond the Hype

This philosophy is embedded in BBD’s approach. Their teams combine decades of cross-sector expertise with hands-on research and development, rapidly testing multiple technologies to identify the ones that truly work. Instead of chasing trends, they guide clients toward solutions that deliver.

As Lucky explains, the true legacy of today’s hype cycle is not the startups that flame out. It is the infrastructure being built, from data centres to specialised chips, that will underpin the transformative applications still to come.

Tune In

If you want to hear Lucky’s full perspective, listen to the  BBD Tech Unboxed episode here. Whether you are a founder, a technologist, or just curious about where AI is headed, his take will make you rethink how to ride the wave from hype to lasting value.