Here are five refreshingly honest "unpredictions" about what AI won't be doing for your asset management team in 2026 - and why the human element remains irreplaceable.
1. AI Won't Unclog a Fryer Drain at 3 A.M.
No matter how sophisticated your predictive models become, when the fryer backs up at a food processing plant during the graveyard shift, you'll still need someone with a wrench, some elbow grease, and the willingness to answer that dreaded 3 a.m. call. AI can tell you when the drain is likely to clog based on usage patterns and maintenance history, but it can't get its virtual hands dirty.
The human-in-the-loop isn't just important here - it's essential. Your maintenance technician who knows that "the fryer on line three always acts up after heavy Friday production runs" brings contextual wisdom that no algorithm can replicate overnight.
2. AI Won't Win Arguments with the Safety Inspector
Sure, AI can surface compliance records and safety documentation faster than you can say "OSHA violation." It can even predict which assets are most likely to fail inspection based on historical patterns. But when that clipboard-wielding inspector shows up and starts asking pointed questions about that one leaky valve, you'll need human judgment, communication skills, and maybe a little charm to navigate the conversation.
By 2028, 25% of enterprise breaches will be traced back to AI agent abuse, from both external and malicious internal actors, Gartner warns. The last thing you want is your AI assistant trying to negotiate with a regulator while simultaneously being a security risk.
3. AI Won't Make the Coffee Taste Better on Night Shifts
Let's be honest: some problems are fundamentally analog. AI can optimize maintenance schedules to reduce downtime, analyze energy consumption patterns, and even predict when equipment will need replacement. But it's completely powerless against whatever mysterious sludge is coming out of the break room coffee machine.
Your night shift team's morale depends on more than just efficient work orders. Sometimes the most important asset management happens around that coffee pot at 2 a.m., when experienced technicians share institutional knowledge with newer team members.
4. AI Won't Fix "The Sound It Makes"
Every maintenance professional knows this scenario: a frantic call comes in describing equipment that's "making that sound again." AI can analyze vibration patterns, acoustic signatures, and sensor data all day long, but it still won't know exactly what that sound means without a human ear and years of experience.
Forrester predicts that three out of four firms attempting to build advanced agentic architectures independently will fail due to the complexity involved. The complexity of human sensory experience and institutional knowledge remains one of AI's biggest challenges. Your veteran technician who can diagnose a bearing failure just by listening? That's irreplaceable expertise.
5. AI Won't Make Healthcare Assets Immortal
'In healthcare environments, over 40 percent of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027, according to Gartner. Thanks to escalating costs, unclear business value and inadequate risk controls, the stakes are incredibly high. AI-augmented predictive maintenance will absolutely keep MRI machines, ventilators, and other critical equipment running longer and more reliably. But eventually, physics wins. Parts wear out, seals fail, and even the smartest algorithm can't stop entropy.
What AI can do is help your team be strategic about replacements, plan maintenance windows more effectively, and ensure critical equipment stays operational when lives depend on it. But it will always need human oversight to make the final calls on patient safety and care continuity.
The Human-AI Partnership in EAM
Don't get me wrong, AI is transforming asset management in remarkable ways. The technology can analyze vast amounts of operational data, identify patterns humans might miss, and help organizations move from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies. The market growth numbers don't lie: organizations are seeing real value from AI-enabled asset management solutions.
But the most successful implementations in 2026 will be those that recognize AI as a powerful tool for augmenting human expertise, not replacing it. Your maintenance team's intuition, problem-solving skills, and ability to adapt to unexpected situations remain your greatest assets.
The sweet spot lies in combining AI's analytical power with human judgment. Let AI handle the pattern recognition and data crunching. Let it flag anomalies and suggest optimal maintenance windows. Let it tackle the mundane and admin-heavy work, to allow human expertise to be put to use where it matters most But keep humans in the loop for decision-making, relationship management, and all those unpredictable moments that make asset management both challenging and rewarding.
Ready to Explore What AI CAN Do?
While we've had some fun with what AI won't accomplish, the technology's potential for transforming EAM is genuinely exciting. From predictive analytics to intelligent work order routing, AI is already helping organizations reduce costs, improve efficiency, and make better decisions about their physical assets.
Curious about where your organization stands on the EAM maturity curve and how AI might fit into your strategy? Visit ultimo.com/ai to discover what AI can do for your asset management program in 2026 or book a demo to explore where you are on your EAM maturity journey.
After all, even if AI can't fix the coffee machine, it might just help you keep everything else running smoothly.
