The Price of Hesitation: Why Delaying Innovation and AI Adoption Costs More Than You Think

Elia Corkery Marketing Executive
2 min read in AI
(462 words)
published

Hesitation is becoming a costly reflex. Using a real example, we cloned Steve's voice with AI in minutes - highlighting just how quickly innovation is happening. Inspired by Accenture’s Life Trends 2025 report, we've explored how rising digital distrust is slowing both consumers and businesses. But while some pause, others are already testing, learning, and gaining ground.

It took just minutes to clone our CEO’s voice using AI. All we needed was a typed script and a few lines of audio to train it. The result? A near-perfect voice match.

It’s impressive, it’s unsettling, and most of all, it’s fast. The technology landscape is shifting under our feet, and those who hesitate are already behind.

Hesitation is becoming a reflex. That’s a problem.

Accenture’s Life Trends 2025 report kicks off with a warning: hesitation is on the rise. Deepfakes, fake reviews, and misleading AI-generated content are creating digital confusion. People are pausing more often and asking themselves “Is this real?” before they click, buy, or engage.

“At the center of this trend is people’s new hesitation reflex… and the resulting cost for anyone doing business” - Accenture Life Trends 2024.

But it’s not just consumers. That hesitation reflex is creeping into businesses too.

Teams are holding back on AI. Delaying decisions. Waiting for certainty. And while they do, faster-moving competitors are already testing, learning, and gaining market share.

Speed matters more than certainty

At New Icon, we’ve seen what happens when great ideas stall in search of perfection, and what happens when teams move decisively, even in ambiguity.

We don’t wait for crystal-clear answers. We help clients move quickly, building momentum through rapid prototyping, real-world testing, user-first design, and agile sprints and smart iteration

You don’t have to launch with a flawless solution, you just have to launch. Less wrong over time beats never released at all.

What does hesitation cost?

Hesitation costs more than time. It can cost trust, growth, and opportunity.

While you’re debating your AI strategy, someone else is integrating intelligent automation into their product. While you’re polishing a roadmap, someone else is live with version one.
While you’re seeking assurance, your users are finding alternatives.

“From sophisticated scams to engagement-farming slop, online content and experiences are becoming less trustworthy for consumers.”

In a noisy, uncertain digital space, the most trusted brands will be the ones taking action, clearly and confidently.

Trust isn’t built through waiting, it’s built through clarity

Users don’t expect you to have every answer. But they do expect:

  • Transparency in how you’re using AI
  • Human-first product design
  • Clear, accessible digital experiences

Trust isn’t a checkbox - it’s a series of choices, made visible. That’s where design-led, iterative software can make all the difference.

Hesitation feels safe. But it’s not.

If there’s one lesson from the AI voice clone, it’s this: the pace of change isn’t going to slow down. And waiting for permission, for certainty, or for the “right” time - is the real risk.

The future isn’t waiting and neither should you.

Curious what Steve’s cloned voice sounds like? Head here… it’s uncanny!
Read Accenture’s full Life Trends 2025 report here.


Elia Corkery Marketing Executive at Newicon

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