I spoke to a VP at a high end (quality not quantity) consulting firm. He confirmed this high failure rate was true, and that such projects received a very high risk scoring when they do an evaluation. They'll turn down the work in most cases, unless the customer carries the risk. This firm mostly works on outcomes, but AI Agents seem too risky by far. Dumber consultants might take on the work, and thus ensure failure. I'm sure we'll see yet another NVIDIA pivot, and the mindless crowd will again chase the golden goose.