Vendor-independent analysis of what AI projects actually cost — by industry, by compliance regime, by category. Every number sourced. No sponsored content.
OT/IT integration, legacy PLCs, sensor retrofits, IEC 62443 cybersecurity, and the operator-training work that vendor proposals never include. A real-numbers breakdown for plant-floor AI.
StrategyWhen foundation-model fine-tuning beats a vendor platform, and when it doesn't. A 2026 decision framework with real TCO math across three deployment archetypes.
ResearchThe RAND, Gartner, and MIT Sloan studies behind the failure rate, what survivorship actually looks like, and the six organizational patterns that predict AI projects that ship and hold value.
Cost AnalysisWhy AI vendor proposals routinely come in at 35–40% of the real project cost, the line items vendors systematically omit, and how to unpick a quote before you sign.
HealthcareHIPAA, BAAs, FDA SaMD pathway, de-identification pipelines, Epic and Oracle Health integration, and IRB review — the real compliance cost healthcare AI buyers miss.
Financial ServicesSR 11-7 model risk management, explainability engineering, real-time fraud infrastructure, core banking integration, regulatory stress testing, and the finserv talent premium.
The calculator pulls industry-specific multipliers for compliance, integration, and hidden categories from the same research that underlies these posts.
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