From AI FOMO to AI JOMO: Why Selective Adoption Creates More Value

According to Publicis Sapient’s 2026 Global Enterprise AI Report, 73% of organisations say AI is now used regularly or across most business processes. As AI became embedded in day-to-day work, organisations increasingly shifted their focus from experimentation to implementation. Microsoft’s rollout of Copilot across the workplace helped accelerate that change, signalling that AI had moved beyond innovation teams and into everyday business operations. Suddenly, organisations weren’t asking whether to adopt AI, but how quickly they could do it. 

The result was a wave of AI investment and deployment, often driven as much by fear of missing out as by a clear understanding of where the technology could deliver value. As the dust begins to settle, many organisations are questioning where AI genuinely makes a difference. The next phase of AI maturity is not about using more AI but using it more intentionally. In other words, moving from the fear of missing out (FOMO) to the joy of missing out (JOMO) while keeping humans firmly in the loop. 

When Every Company Needed an AI Story 

FOMO has always been a powerful force in business, and AI proved no exception. As the technology moved into the mainstream, organisations faced growing pressure from boards, investors and leadership teams to demonstrate progress while technology vendors and media headlines positioned AI as the defining business opportunity of the decade. 

The numbers reflect just how pervasive that conversation became. FactSet found that AI was mentioned on 331 S&P 500 earnings calls in Q4 2025, accounting for 68% of all calls and the highest level recorded in a decade. For many organisations, the message seemed clear: if competitors were talking about AI, they needed an AI story of their own. 

As a result, an important question began to change. Instead of asking why AI should be used, many organisations started by asking where they could apply it. Sometimes that unlocked genuine innovation. Just as often, however, it led to projects being launched before clear objectives or business outcomes had been defined. AI adoption became a race to demonstrate momentum, even when the destination was not always clear. 

Activity Isn’t Impact 

When AI is applied everywhere, it becomes harder to identify where it is creating genuine value. Under pressure to demonstrate progress, many organisations launched pilots, adopted new tools and introduced AI into existing workflows. Yet activity is not the same as impact, and many initiatives struggled to deliver measurable business outcomes. 

At the same time, employees were asked to navigate an increasing number of tools, processes and expectations. Rather than simplifying work, AI sometimes added another layer of complexity, but more technology does not automatically mean greater productivity. 

The next phase of AI maturity will require organisations to be more selective. Success is not about using AI wherever possible but focusing on where it can create meaningful value. Sometimes, that means recognising that AI is not the answer. 

The Joy of Missing Out 

This is where the concept of AI JOMO comes into play. JOMO is about being confident enough to recognise that not all workflows need to be automated. It’s not about rejecting AI altogether but recognising that mature organisations understand that technology should primarily be solving problems. 

Some tasks will always benefit from human judgement, whether that’s creativity or relationship-building. In many cases, better outcomes come from improving the way people work rather than introducing another layer of technology. A more selective approach can help organisations focus investment and effort where AI is genuinely making a difference. 

An additional aspect that many don’t consider as part of the joy of missing out is saving costs. Tokens have significantly increased in price, so when the challenge requires a simple solution, finding an alternative to AI is a big cost saver.  

AI should be treated like any other business investment: deployed where it can deliver measurable outcomes and avoided where it cannot. The next phase of AI adoption will belong to organisations that focus less on adopting AI for its own sake and more on using it intentionally. In doing so, they may discover that choosing not to use AI can be just as valuable as choosing where to deploy it. 

The Bottom Line 

Moving from AI FOMO to AI JOMO is about becoming more selective. AI has and will continue to reshape the way organisations operate, but the future belongs to intentional adopters who understand where AI creates genuine value and where human expertise remains essential. 

The real competitive advantage lies in making those distinctions with confidence. Used well, AI should free people up to spend more time on work that relies on judgement, creativity, empathy and relationships. In practice, many organisations should reach a point where they can strategically combine both, using AI where it improves outcomes while continuing to rely on human judgement where it matters most.  

The challenge is becoming less about what can be automated and more about whether automation delivers a meaningful advantage. AI doesn’t need to be the answer to every problem. The more important question is whether it helps solve the problem at hand and delivers a tangible outcome.