# Watching the Generative AI Hype Bubble Deflate

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.08778 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.08778/

## Key facts

- Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 16 Aug 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [Provocations from the Humanities for Generative AI Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.19190/) (2025)
- [Position: Stop Evaluating AI with Human Tests, Develop Principled, AI-specific Tests instead](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.23009/) (2025)
- [DeepSeek-Inspired Exploration of RL-based LLMs and Synergy with Wireless Networks: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.09956/) (2025)
- [Limits to AI Growth: The Ecological and Social Consequences of Scaling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.17980/) (2025)
- [Imposing AI: Deceptive design patterns against sustainability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.08672/) (2025)
- ["If You're Very Clever, No One Knows You've Used It": The Social Dynamics of Developing Generative AI Literacy in the Workplace](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.01386/) (2026)
- [Segment Transformer: AI-Generated Music Detection via Music Structural Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.08283/) (2025)
- [Strategic Polysemy in AI Discourse: A Philosophical Analysis of Language, Hype, and Power](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.21043/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Only a few short months ago, Generative AI was sold to us as inevitable by the leadership of AI companies, those who partnered with them, and venture capitalists. As certain elements of the media promoted and amplified these claims, public discourse online buzzed with what each new beta release could be made to do with a few simple prompts. As AI became a viral sensation, every business tried to become an AI business. Some businesses added "AI" to their names to juice their stock prices, and companies talking about "AI" on their earnings calls saw similar increases. While the Generative AI hype bubble is now slowly deflating, its harmful effects will last.