AI should not be added because a product needs an AI story. It should be added when it makes the user’s judgment easier to apply.
The best AI features do not replace responsibility. They compress the path between context and a better decision.
A good AI feature has a job
Useful AI features usually do one of four things:
- summarize scattered context
- draft a first version
- compare options
- automate a repeatable handoff
If a feature cannot explain which job it does, it is probably just a button with a model behind it.
The review moment matters
Every AI workflow needs a clear review moment. The user should know what was produced, what evidence was used, and what still requires judgment.
Without that, the feature becomes either magic or risk. Neither one is a durable product position.
Context is the product
The hard part is rarely the prompt. The hard part is assembling the right context without making the user babysit the system.
That is why AI product work often looks like information architecture: naming things, preserving decisions, connecting records, and making outputs traceable.
The test
Ask a simple question: if the AI part disappeared, would the workflow still make sense?
If the answer is no, the workflow may be too dependent on novelty. If the answer is yes, AI can become an accelerator instead of a crutch.
Related Notes
Continue through the same thinking system.