We’re not normal: what the AI adoption gap means for the products you’re building

Debbie McMahon, VP of Product at Loveholidays, addressed the disconnect between AI developers and users, emphasizing the "AI adoption gap" at MXP London. She pointed out that while a small fraction of people actively build with AI, the vast majority have never used it, leading to a misalignment between product creators and consumers. McMahon shared stories highlighting the pitfalls of over-emphasizing AI in product design without understanding user needs, such as an ineffective AI tool for hotel room grouping and a misplaced Q&A feature. She advocated for starting with user problems and incorporating AI as a solution, rather than a starting point. To bridge the gap, Loveholidays developed a "playground" for rapid prototyping, allowing anyone in the company to test ideas with real customer feedback, ensuring that AI features address genuine needs. The session underscored that successful product teams focus on understanding and addressing user needs before deploying AI solutions.