Dr. Josep Alet
Josep Alet, President of the Association of Direct and Interactive Marketing Agencies, founding partner and professor at the Institute of Electronic Commerce and Direct Marketing, and corresponding member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), addressed the implementation of artificial intelligence in the business fabric, its cost and its return in the lecture “The AI Paradox of 2026: from Generic Technology to Situated Capability,” which he delivered during the 10th International Academic Meeting held by the Royal Corporation between 15 and 20 March in various German cities under the general title “The Rhine as a Current of Knowledge: Cross-Border Dialogues.” For the expert, the adoption of this disruptive technology often causes frustration within organisations due to a structural error in how it is adopted.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer a technological wager, but a consummated fact: the vast majority of organisations use some form of AI, and the capital invested amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars a year. However, the data show an extreme contrast: only a minority, around 5%, captures significant value at scale, while the majority remains trapped in a ‘pilot purgatory’ where proof-of-concept trials work in the laboratory, but fail resoundingly when attempts are made to scale them. This paradox is not explained by the quality of the models, but by the economics of the so-called J-curve of productivity: AI is a general-purpose technology that requires large complementary investments in process redesign, data capabilities and human capital before productivity improves. Companies that invest almost everything in technology and barely anything in these intangible assets remain trapped in the lower part of the J; while those that rebalance their investment begin to emerge as true AI Achievers,” Alet summarised in his address.
For the expert, the central problem lies in a reductionist view of artificial intelligence as a technological tool, when in reality it is a complex organisational capability. Many companies have rushed to adopt advanced models without rethinking their processes, culture, or data structures. This dynamic reveals a deep disconnect between technological experimentation and strategic execution, as general-purpose technologies such as AI do not yield immediate benefits and require prior investments in intangible assets, including training, reorganisation, and process redefinition. During this initial phase, the academic argued, productivity may even decline, which discourages organisations seeking quick results. However, those who persevere and carry out the necessary transformations ultimately capture significant advantages.
Hence, for Alet, the true differentiating factor is not the sophistication of the algorithm, but organisational discipline. The companies that achieve the greatest return from this technology understand that artificial intelligence should not be deployed in a scattered manner but aligned with specific strategic objectives. Faced with the proliferation of disconnected use cases, these organisations concentrate resources on a few high-impact initiatives, build robust data infrastructures and redesign workflows to integrate collaboration between humans and machines effectively. In this regard, the expert pointed out that success depends largely on investing more in people and processes than in technology. He also added that the current context, with the emergence of autonomous AI systems, the rise of smaller and more specialised models, and growing regulatory pressure, especially in Europe, compels organisations to professionalise the governance of artificial intelligence.
A pioneer of relationship marketing in Spain, Alet was admitted to the READ in 2019 with the admission speech “Quantum Marketing, a New Marketing Paradigm to Make a Leap in Customer Management”, a subject to which he also devoted the book “Quantum Power to Earn More in Business” (Profit Editorial), a popular manual in which he approaches what has come to be known as quantum marketing from an informative perspective.
