Why Most Companies Still Struggle to Operationalize AI

Mary Elizabeth Porray, Global Vice Chair Client Technology and COO, Growth and Innovation at EY, joins The Tech Trek for a grounded conversation about what it actually takes to operationalize emerging technologies inside a global enterprise. This episode goes past the AI hype cycle and into the real work of adoption, change management, process redesign, workforce trust, and leadership in ambiguity.

A lot of companies are asking what AI can do. Fewer are asking what needs to change for AI to actually work. Mary Elizabeth shares how EY is thinking about experimentation, employee experience, guardrails, internal adoption, and the cultural shifts required to move from curiosity to real impact.

In this episode

Why culture, not technology, is often the biggest blocker to emerging tech adoption

Why AI is not a magic wand, but can help teams solve problems in a different way

How leaders can identify the right starting points by listening for real pain points

Why productivity gains have to create psychological space, not just more work

How affinity groups, storytelling, and visible leadership help drive adoption

Timestamped highlights

01:58 Why cultural norms often slow down emerging technology adoption

03:25 AI hype, false expectations, and what the technology can realistically change

05:55 The mental load of AI at work, and why EY created Thrive Time

11:20 Why AI pilots need to go deeper than surface level experimentation

15:19 How AI is creating a shared language between business and technology teams

29:29 How storytelling, affinity groups, and positive momentum help people lean in

One line that sticks: AI is not something you dabble in.

A practical takeaway

The best place to start is not with the flashiest use case. It is with a real pain point. If a process should take one week and actually takes eight, that is a signal worth following.

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