A new product feature has a story behind it. A refactor doesn't. AI has a story. Fixing something that's been broken for a year doesn't.
Organisations love a good story. And throw money at it. It's much easier to fund something new than maintain something old.
People catch wind of this and learn to package anything into a neat narrative that sounds exciting enough to get through the door. The language becomes dishonest, but it works.
Part of the problem is distance. Budget is under the control of people who aren't close to the work. The person who understands the problem has to translate it into something that someone three-four pegs up the chain understands. Usually, honesty gets lost in that translation.
Sometimes the story isn't even about doing anything. Exploring AI can just mean you don't want to look like you're behind. But that's no longer innovation if it sounds more like you're managing your reputation.
But these are the stories that get funded. And we know money is limited, so while the exciting stories get funded, something else needs to be cut. Accessibility. Documentation. Testing. All the work with no exciting narrative. All the work that doesn't get the spotlight on launch day.
This innovation obsession has a real cost. We just won't see it until much later.