I found this InfoWorld article particularly interesting, because one of the “transformational” technologies it mentions that instead “went bunk” is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Well, I did marketing for Texas Instruments (TI) back in the 80s and AI was definitely a technology the entire corporation embraced. We called it “Knowledge Technologies.” The group I worked for had several AI software and hardware products, including the Explorer LISP machine, shown below. (It was named ”Explorer” because the Product Manager’s son was active in the Boy Scouts. I’m not kidding.)
TI Explorer shown in a wickedly cool "designer" shot.
A TI press release in 1987 announced, “A 553K-Transistor LISP Processor Chip. This advanced LISP microprocessor promises to greatly expand the range of AI applications in both commercial and defense systems. With it, intelligent knowledge machines can be much smaller, more powerful and easier to use.”
So much smaller that they eventually disappeared, it seems.