AI Should Be Useful, Not Just Clever
- 17 Apr, 2025
🚨 In the rush to implement AI into everything, we risk losing sight of core product principles:
✅ Solve real user problems
✅ Provide actual utility
✅ Meet users where they are
I was recently reminded of this when I moved (don’t ask) from Google Docs to Microsoft Word. I had a long document that needed formatting, so I fired up Copilot and prompted:
“Convert everything with a font size > X to Headline 1 style”
Instead of actually doing what I asked, Copilot responded with something along the lines of:
“I can’t make that change, but I can summarize your document!”
Le sigh.
It was like the scene in Seinfeld where Kramer takes over Movie Phone:
Except now it’s AI saying:
“Why don’t you just let me summarize your document instead?”
Like Kramer, Copilot misses the point.
At that moment, I didn’t need a summarizer.
I needed an intern. A real one.
Someone to apply styles, clean up formatting, and just get the job done.
As product managers, this is a good reminder:
AI shouldn’t just sound smart.
It should be useful.
This isn’t just my personal frustration – it’s a broader pattern I’ve written about in my response to Shopify’s recent AI memo, where I argue that AI needs to be more than just a productivity enhancer.
Let’s not forget—being helpful beats being clever every time.
P.S. AI can be genuinely useful when implemented with a focus on solving real user problems. I recently built and launched an entire app using AI as my development team, proving that when AI is directed toward clear outcomes rather than just clever responses, the results can be transformative.
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