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How do yo think AI is going to impact product design?
One principle AI can't shatter: Taste doesn't scale.
Taste has resisted mass production throughout the millennia. Great art and craft were always something only a few of us could produce. Most of society only passively consumes great experience. Can t put a finger on it unless prompted. Only some actively recognise, and appreciate what s great.
Great is created, good is imitated. AI can only imitate.
"But nothing is original." you might say. Good artists copy; great artists steal. Right?
Yes, but only if steal means imitation AND a new angle. Every great piece of work stands on the shoulders of what came before, but also pushes further with a creative insight that s uniquely human.
AI can t create that insight yet, and I think this something we are years away from. At best.
Now for the sake of this thinking experiment, let s accept that AI can create good imitations of great product design, and engineering work. What happens when everybody uses AI? If there are good imitations of great work everywhere?
Everything will blend.
AI won't democratise great taste.
It will just make good more accessible.
The AI is another tool we have available, but the real choice for designers is this: Are you a factory, cranking out acceptable work? Or do you double down on the gap that AI can't bridge?
First one is an easy path to becoming obsolete.
Second one is a hard path to maintaining relevancy.
Now what does it mean for the product and brand design at your company?
I'll leave this question open for you to answer...
SaaS is supposedly being dismantled.
Greg Isenberg posted an opinion piece about the AI s impact on SaaS.
The proof we already live in Phase 1 where AI augments our work is simple: Just think about how many times daily do you use AI in your digital work.
I can easily imagine we'll get to Phase 3 in 2-3 years, but I can as easily imagine we'll end up stuck in between Phases 1, and 2 for various reasons.
What I don't like though is how these visions of huge opportunity, and AI utopia are being boosted in social media at the expense of the real issues: Privacy, climate, job security...
Don t get me wrong. We absolutely can build a better future. But not by avoiding to talk about real issues, or just saying it will be fine.
We should brace ourselves for a rough landing in a different landscape:
Rise of agents
New SaaS products
New pricing models
Personal software
But also:
Scrambling to avoid climate collapse
More job insecurity
More privacy incidents
More fake news
It s not just SaaS that s being dismantled.
It's our social cohesion.
Founders, how AI impacts your strategy?
Funny how AI discussions always go to extremes: "AI will replace everyone!" vs "AI is just another tool!" Reality? It's more nuanced. Some businesses completely ignore AI. Others are rebuilding from scratch. Few are treating it as existential risk. Vote in the poll... But more importantly: Share your reasoning in comments. Curious to hear real stories, not just headlines. No "thought leadership" needed. Just honest takes from people building stuff.