AI Doesn’t Work!

If you are reading this and nodding along, I get it. You pull into a fast food drive through, confidently place your order with the “AI powered” voice assistant, and within seconds it has misunderstood half of what you said. You repeat yourself. It still gets it wrong. Eventually a human cuts in over the speaker, apologizes, and takes your order the old fashioned way. Or you call a customer service number because you have a simple billing question, only to get stuck in an endless loop where the system keeps asking you to rephrase your request, slowly grinding your patience into dust. Maybe you have also tried chatting with a so-called AI support bot on a website that keeps sending you irrelevant help articles instead of answering your question. By the time you finally reach a human, you are already frustrated and thinking the same thing. AI does not work.

Here is the uncomfortable truth. None of those examples are actually AI. They are basic decision trees and keyword search systems with a voice or chat interface slapped on top. At best, they are glorified Google searches that react to a narrow set of predefined phrases. At worst, they are outdated call routing systems pretending to be something they are not. Calling these systems AI is like putting a Mercedes logo on a Nissan and insisting it is a luxury car. It does not magically become something better just because of the badge.

So why do companies do this? Because AI is the buzzword of the moment. Startups feel pressure to shout “AI powered” in order to raise money. Established companies feel pressure to shout “AI powered” in order to get press, investor confidence, and relevance. The problem is that when these weak, poorly implemented systems are labeled as AI, they poison the well. They create bad first impressions. If your first experience with “AI” was a drive through that could not understand a cheeseburger order or a phone system that trapped you in a loop, of course you are going to walk away thinking AI does not work.

The reality is very different. Real AI absolutely works, when it is actually AI and when it is implemented correctly for a specific purpose.

I will give you a personal example. I used AI extensively during my immigration process to the United States. Immigration law is complex, documentation heavy, and traditionally expensive. Most people assume you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers just to have a chance. Instead, I used modern AI tools to analyze requirements, structure evidence, draft supporting narratives, and cross check my documentation against official criteria. I still reviewed everything carefully and took responsibility for the final submission, but AI acted as a tireless research assistant and writing partner. The result was a successful visa approval and tens of thousands of dollars saved. That is not theoretical. That is the real impact, on a life changing process, delivered by real AI.

Another example comes from business operations. I have used AI to analyze large volumes of contracts, financial data, and operational documents in days instead of weeks. Tasks that would normally require teams of analysts can now be handled faster, with greater consistency, and without burnout. AI does not replace expertise. It amplifies it. When used correctly, it removes the busywork and lets humans focus on judgment, strategy, and decision making.

This same principle applies directly to municipal governments, which is where LSPS Solutions focuses its work.

Municipalities are under constant pressure. Limited budgets. Aging infrastructure. Staffing shortages. Increasing regulatory complexity. Rising expectations from residents. AI, when applied properly, is not a gimmick. It is a practical tool to help cities do more with what they already have.

One example is the AI powered Operations and Maintenance Manual. Traditional O&M manuals are static, dense documents that sit on a shelf or a server. They are difficult to search, hard to update, and intimidating for new staff. LSPS Solutions has already implemented an AI O&M Manual with a water authority delivering over 5 billion gallons of water annually. Instead of flipping through binders or PDFs, staff can ask plain language questions and get immediate, accurate answers based on the actual approved procedures of that specific system. This improves training, reduces operational errors, and preserves institutional knowledge as experienced operators retire. That is AI doing real work, every day.

Another area is AI resident service bots. Cities spend enormous amounts of time and money responding to repetitive questions. Billing inquiries. Building permits. Code requirements. Utility service issues. These are important questions, but they often consume staff time that could be better spent on higher value tasks. Properly trained AI service bots can handle a large percentage of these inquiries instantly, accurately, and around the clock. This is not a generic chatbot guessing at answers. This is a system trained on your ordinances, your fee schedules, your forms, and your processes. The result is better service for residents and measurable cost savings for the municipality, often in the tens of thousands of dollars per year.

LSPS Solutions also offers AI consulting services designed specifically for municipal environments. This is not a vague promise to “add AI everywhere.” It is a focused engagement where we work with your team for a week to identify where AI can realistically save time, reduce costs, or improve outcomes without compromising quality or compliance. In some cases, the answer might be automation. In others, it might be decision support, document analysis, or knowledge management. The goal is not hype. The goal is impact.

Finally, there is Rule-Trace. This is what I often describe as the lawyer in the pocket of city workers. Municipal compliance requires navigating a maze of state and federal legislation. For many staff members, finding accurate answers means calling legal counsel or spending hours digging through dense statutes and regulations. Rule-Trace is an AI system trained specifically on relevant state and federal laws affecting municipalities. City staff can ask questions in plain language and receive clear, source backed answers tailored to their responsibilities. This reduces risk, improves compliance, and empowers staff to make informed decisions without waiting days for external guidance.

So yes, if your experience with “AI” has been a broken drive through speaker or an infuriating phone tree, your skepticism is understandable. But do not confuse bad marketing and lazy implementations with the actual technology. Real AI works. It is already delivering real results in complex, regulated environments. The question is not whether AI works. The question is whether you are being shown real AI or just a pig with lipstick.