Why Your AI Implementation Fails and How to Fix It with Sophia Zitman | Ep. 136

AI implementations rarely fail because of the technology. They fail because of people, incentives, fear, and organizational blind spots.

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Sophia Zitman, Director of AI Projects at Kickstart AI, about what actually makes AI work in real organizations.

From starting with the why instead of the tech, to navigating politics, resistance, and design choices that determine whether AI ever makes it to production.

This conversation is for founders, operators, and leaders who want to move beyond AI hype and build systems that are useful, ethical, and adopted.

Follow Women Disrupting Tech for more conversations like this.

In this episode

• Why humans, not technology, cause most AI failures
• How to design AI around real organizational goals
• Why resistance is often a signal, not a blocker
• What founders underestimate about AI infrastructure
• How AI can lower the barrier to building companies and accessing education

Chapters:

01:23 Why most AI strategies fail in practice

04:23 Sophia Zitman and building AI that delivers value

11:13 The real reason AI projects break down

17:33 Designing AI around people and workflows

23:38 When politics derail even good AI projects

32:23 What successful AI implementation looks like

47:08 AI as an advantage for startups and founders

56:53 AI as an equalizer and building inclusive tech

Connect with Sophia Zitman:

Sophia Zitman on LinkedIn.

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