Engineers have a remarkable talent for inventing solutions to problems most people didn't even know existed. Consider the humble public restroom. For decades, we managed perfectly well with the trusty twisty-knob faucet—left for hot, right for cold. Simple. Functional. Civilized.

Now, in this UPdate, we take a look at businesses pouring millions—and in some cases, billions—into AI, often with no clear plan for how that investment will actually deliver returns.