AI in Action: Toward a Theory of Hype Translation in Organizations

Abstract

Despite widespread adoption pressures, many organizations struggle to move from symbolic AI adoption to meaningful implementation. This study investigates how organizations translate AI hype into practice, drawing on seven case studies of AI implementation. Building on the paradigms of sensemaking and translation, we lay the foundations for an emergent theory of hype translation, a process through which organizations interpret, negotiate, and enact symbolic expectations surrounding AI. Findings show that organizations navigate the hype through meaning-making and translation work, from initial sensegiving and sensemaking to relational coordination, cultural reframing, and symbolic reinforcement practices. These practices interact in distinct configurations that shape how AI is ultimately embedded, leading to transformative, operational, or illusionary outcomes. This study advanced IS research by theorizing hype translation as an organizational process linking symbolic adoption to practical implementation work.