One of the worst aspects of tech hype is the onslaught of useless features. The current AI hype train is clearly no exception.
Whenever hyped tech comes up, the tech industry seems to get collective amnesia about how to validate product and feature ideas and that UX research is a thing. Instead, we just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.
They are features for no one.
I recall one of the earlier examples: LinkedIn's AI-powered premium experience, which promised "a higher level of personalization to each interaction" by, ahem, generating AI follow-up questions to responses on your posts. How personalized!
Or who could forget Microsoft Windows "Recall", the dystopian privacy nightmare that continually takes screenshots of your activity. (By the way, this still exists!).
There are also entire products, like the AI Friend Bracelet, that are horrendous. These are devices that purport to offer companionship or connection by pairing you with a hallucinating, unfeeling robot.
This post isn't intended to target AI in particular: it's just the latest example of what seems to always happen. I can't wait for it to be over so we can move on to the next one.
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