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
For example, AI can help people:
- summarize scattered context
- draft a first version
- compare options
- automate a repeatable handoff
The job should be clear enough to judge whether the feature helps someone do it better.
Make review match the risk
The amount of review should reflect the cost of a mistake and how easily it can be undone. A suggestion for organizing draft notes needs less oversight than an action that sends a message or changes important records.
People should be able to inspect what was produced, check the evidence, and correct the result. Where an error would be costly or difficult to undo, an accountable person should approve the consequential action before it happens.
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 three questions:
- Does this help someone complete a meaningful task?
- Can they recognize an error and correct the result?
- Do they remain in control of actions that carry significant consequences?
A useful workflow can depend on AI. Judge the feature by the work it helps people complete and the control it gives them when something goes wrong.
Related Thoughts
Continue through the same thinking system.