Behind the promise: Hidden paradoxes of AI in sales and actionable solutions for organizations

The goal of this paper is to reveal the hidden aspects of AI for sales. Since the emergence of artificial intelligence, scholars have advanced divergent perspectives on its impact on sales. While some emphasize its potential to enhance performance, others highlight its risks and unintended consequences. As a result, the literature remains fragmented and, at times, inconclusive. This ambiguity largely stems from inherent paradoxes in the application of AI to sales contexts. Specifically, visible benefits of AI often obscure hidden costs, just as apparent drawbacks conceal less obvious advantages. This asymmetry in what is observable versus what remains latent can lead organizations to make suboptimal decisions. This paper identifies and analyzes the primary paradoxes associated with AI in sales, unveils the hidden factors that lead organizations to make imperfect decisions, explains the mechanisms underlying these tensions, highlights the implications for organizations, and proposes practical, actionable recommendations to address them.