PALO ALTO, CA – A groundbreaking new study released Tuesday by the Institute for Corporate Futility (ICF) reveals that senior leaders are facing unprecedented challenges in integrating artificial intelligence, primarily due to AI's baffling inability to 'just know what they mean.' The report, titled 'Neural Networks vs. Executive Nuance: A Losing Battle,' details a widespread frustration among top brass who expected AI to seamlessly translate vague directives into actionable, profitable outcomes.

“We told it to 'optimize synergies' and 'leverage blue-sky thinking,' and it just… asked for more data,” lamented Reginald P. Bluster, Chief Visionary Officer at OmniCorp, in an exclusive interview. “It’s like it doesn’t even understand corporate speak. What’s the point of an 'intelligence' if it can’t read between the lines of a PowerPoint presentation?”

The ICF report, which surveyed 1,200 executives with an average of 47 years of experience in 'gut feelings,' found that 87% believe AI should anticipate their needs without explicit instruction. Dr. Belinda 'Blinky' Botts, lead researcher and head of the ICF’s Department of Obvious Observations, noted, “Many executives view AI as a magical, all-knowing entity, rather than a tool requiring precise input. They expect it to understand a mumbled 'make it pop' as a detailed project brief.”

One executive reportedly unplugged an AI system after it failed to correctly interpret a napkin sketch of a 'disruptive paradigm shift' as a fully costed business plan. Experts now suggest a new training module for AI, focusing on 'Executive Mind-Reading and Implied Command Interpretation,' though early trials have resulted in several AI systems spontaneously generating haikus about existential dread.