The AI graveyard: a running list of projects and startups that didn’t make it
Relay shut down in August after larger technology companies began offering similar AI workflow automation through their own platforms, leaving the five-year-old startup without a clear standalone role. The article presents Relay as one example of a wider pattern: many AI products and corporate initiatives are being discontinued, absorbed into other services or falling short of expectations.
The article says S&P Global Market Intelligence estimates that about 42% of corporate AI initiatives are abandoned, citing factors such as funding, technical hurdles, competition, scaling difficulties and weak demand. It also describes setbacks at major technology companies, including OpenAI’s reversed ChatGPT redesign and several standalone products whose features were folded into ChatGPT; the supplied text further reports that Apple’s delayed AI Siri contributed to a $250 million settlement.
In short
- Relay shut down as larger platforms added similar AI automation.
- About 42% of corporate AI initiatives are abandoned.
- The article tracks AI products that shut down, pivoted or missed expectations.
Explained simply
AI products range from small start-ups to projects inside large technology companies. They often aim to automate tasks or add new features to existing services, but need funding, reliable technology and enough users to keep going.
A project may be closed, absorbed into another service or changed when a company’s plans shift. Competition from larger platforms can make it harder for a standalone product to offer something distinct.
These closures are part of a wider pattern in which some corporate AI efforts do not reach their goals. Their outcomes matter to businesses investing in the technology and to customers who may rely on products that later change or disappear.
AI Art Business Celebrity Companies Culture Entertainment Markets Technology