John Cutler reflects on the growing role of AI in product and team work, framing it as something that can play several supporting roles: a scribe that captures notes, a thought partner that challenges ideas, a tool that stitches together data, or a counselor that helps with reflection. The piece asks readers to think deliberately about which role they want AI to play rather than adopting it by default. For product managers, this matters because the choice shapes how decisions get made, how much judgment stays with humans, and how teams learn. The framing invites a more intentional relationship with AI tools instead of treating them as a single undifferentiated capability.
01Key takeaways
- Decide deliberately which role AI should play in your work rather than letting it creep in by default.
- Use AI to capture and summarize so more attention goes to the actual conversation.
- Treat AI as a challenger of your assumptions, not as the final answer.
- Keep human judgment central when AI is used for data synthesis or personal counsel.
- Revisit how you use AI periodically, since its useful roles will shift as tools and team needs change.
02Key sections
- AI as a scribe
- AI can capture, summarize, and organize what happens in meetings and documents so that people spend less effort on record-keeping. This frees attention for the discussion itself.
- AI as a thought partner
- Used well, AI can push back on assumptions and offer alternative framings, acting as a sparring partner rather than an oracle.
- AI as a data-stitcher
- AI can connect scattered sources of information into a coherent picture, which helps teams see patterns they might otherwise miss.
- AI as a counselor
- The most personal role positions AI as a reflective aid for working through difficult choices, though it raises questions about where human judgment should remain central.
03From the post
“AI can be your scribe, your thought partner, data-stitcher, or your counselor.”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.