It’s not about adding AI, it’s about solving problems better than before.
Lately, I've seen a shift in the market… one that gives me hope for the future. Instead of asking, "How can we put AI into our product?" the new question to ask is, "How might we solve customer problems with AI?"
This seemingly subtle difference represents a massive mindset shift because one question is driven by hype, and the other is driven by value.
The first question, “How can we add AI?” is trend-chasing. It puts technology before purpose, and often leads to bloated features no one asked for, wasted development time, money, and opportunity cost of building something desired and innovative instead.
The second, “How can we solve a real problem better with AI?” is value creation. It puts the customer at the center and treats AI as a tool, not a trophy.
That’s the shift we’re seeing. And it’s the difference between shipping gimmicks and building enduring solutions.
Put some AI in it!
Since the start of the AI revolution, we've been doing research with both Big Tech and smaller AI-based startups to help them understand their customers and their response to AI-based products and services.
The initial request was simply to, "Put some AI into the product." It makes sense: it's a new, emerging technology and it's important to stay competitive…
What it looked like in real life was a different story: It became more of a race to integrate a chatbot into the product than a process of determining whether a chatbot is really the solution to a problem.
I mean, unless the business problem is have a chatbot because my competitors also have a chatbot.
If you remember the sketch comedy show, Portlandia, then you might recall the sketch, "Put a bird on it."
In the sketch, two well-meaning artists try to help struggling businesses by literally adding birds to random products:
"Look at this sad little tote bag… I know, I'll put a bird on it!" easily becomes, "Look at this sad Pre-GenAI product… I know, I'll put some AI on it!"
It’s funny because it’s true. And it’s tragic because it’s happening.
That sketch nails the problem with trend-first thinking: it’s surface-level. Aesthetic over substance. AI becomes a sticker, not a solution. When you chase a trend, you decorate. When you pursue end-user value, you solve.
And solving is where the real growth is.
(Continue watching as it devolves hysterically at your own risk).
https://medium.com/media/6b7299b7cee614d163f78c79d427538f/href
You aren't asking the right question
Having spent my career helping companies uncover deep customer pain points and design real solutions, this wave of “just add a chatbot” feels like watching innovation on autopilot.
It wasn’t strategic. It wasn’t solving for anything. It was tech for tech’s sake fueled by FOMO (Fear of missing out). The real question that drives long-term growth is this:
“Are we solving our customer’s most urgent problem better than anyone else?”
AI is a means to an end
Simply adding AI is like when the internet exploded in the mid-90s saying that we needed to add some HTML into our product. Or, to have a website. But a website to do what? To solve what problem?
AI can help answer that question. But it doesn’t replace the question itself. AI is a means to an end, not the end in itself. And to be clear: the end goal is happy customers that purchase your product or service.
This is where the mindset shift comes in: It's not about adding AI as much as it's about solving customer problems.
The mindset shift
"I have a new tool in my toolbox. It's called AI. Or Agentic AI. Or an LLM."
Ok, cool, what are you going to do with it?
The real shift is this: instead of jamming AI into an already bloated product roadmap, teams are starting to ask a smarter question:
“Where can this tool help us solve a customer problem in a better way than we could before?”
This may sound obvious, but the implications are transformative.
The best companies aren’t leading with the tool. They’re leading with the outcome. AI is a means, not the mission. A lever, not the solution itself.
Think of it this way: You used to have a hammer, maybe it was a really good hammer, but it was really good at nails. Now you also have a screwdriver. It's flashy and helps you solve new problems because not every problem is a nail.
The shift isn’t just about what tools are available, it’s about what problem you’re solving and what’s now possible because of this new AI toolset.
The leading Tech companies understand this shift because it comes from a place of power. By reframing the problem and the approach, you're able to stop playing catch-up and start leading the market with your new, innovative approach.
Leveraging AI for what it does best allows product development teams to focus on what they do best: designing and developing solutions, now with more options on how to solve problems.
Taking action
If you’re building with AI, here’s your first step: pause and reframe the question.
Don’t start with, “Where can I use AI?” Instead, start with:
“What is the biggest, most urgent, and most underserved problem our customers face? And what is now uniquely possible because of AI?”
To help you shift into this problem-first mindset, try this simple diagnostic:
- What’s the #1 frustration your customers keep bringing up?
- What do they wish they could do but currently can’t?
- If you could wave a magic wand, what would you remove, automate, or radically improve?
Now ask yourself: does AI give us a new advantage to solve that?
If the answer is Yes: Great! Keep going and build with intentionality.
If not: don’t force a square peg into a round hole. This isn't the screw your AI-screwdriver is looking for.
Now it's your turn
Putting the most AI into your product isn’t a winning strategy. Instead, it’s being intentional and selective about when, where, and why you chose to incorporate AI into your product.
This is your opportunity to lead the shift inside your team, your company, your product. Solve real problems by being the one who helps your team make the mindset shift and asks the better question.
That’s how meaningful innovation and growth happens. And you can be the change.
Josh LaMar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Amplinate, an international agency focusing on cross-cultural Research & Design. As the Chief Strategy Officer of JoshLaMar Consult, he helps Entrepreneurs grow their business through ethical competitive advantage.
The most important AI mindset shift no one is talking about was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.