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As excitement around AI rages on, users have been inundated with many products. Unfortunately, they’ve encountered more than a few glorified paperweights.
With so many options flooding the market and customer skepticism at a peak, it’s not enough to have AI capabilities. If you’re in the AI game, you must also bring value.
Case in point: 70-85% of GenAI deployments fall short of their ROI goals. That’s not just a little oversight — it’s a red flag. Hype alone won’t make the cut anymore.
The spotlight is on companies that can show real results and prove that their AI tools are more than just clever algorithms. They need to serve a true, tangible purpose.
After two decades in the video tech space, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to integrate new technology in a way that truly enhances users’ daily workflows. It’s not enough to just simply have the latest flashy tech.
This isn’t the first wave of technological advancement to disrupt the industry, and it certainly won’t be the last. The key is knowing how to leverage AI in ways that not only keep you competitive but also help you truly add value for your users.
I’ve developed a game plan to help companies navigate the AI maze. Here are three key principles to ensure your AI products don’t just keep up, but truly deliver value to your customers.
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1. Give them the draft
One of the most important things you can do for your users is to give them something to work with right away.
Whether rewriting something in a user’s voice or giving them a script, people want to walk away from an AI interaction with something they can immediately use or build on. Sure, most users will need to tweak and fine-tune the AI’s output before it’s perfect, but that’s the point. You want to minimize the work they have to do.
If AI can provide an enhanced version of whatever they’re working on, you’ve saved them time and effort. It’s the difference between generating a few lines of copy and offering a full draft that they can immediately improve upon.
The goal is to offer something that helps users continue moving forward, rather than leaving them to start from scratch.
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2. Give them time
Time is money, especially when it comes to productivity.
The best AI tools aren’t just those that help users complete tasks. They’re the ones that help users complete them faster. AI should give your customers more time in their day, not take it away.
Let’s take podcasting, for example. You’ve spent hours editing the video for your latest episode. The next task? Promoting it on social media. Sounds simple enough, right?
Actually, it can be a major time suck. Manually hunting for those perfect moments or creating chapters in an hour-long video is a total grind and timesuck.
Now, picture this. What if AI could help you select and edit all the social media clips you’ll need for promotion in a few short clicks? It could save users hours or even days of work.
That’s the power of AI: when you give it a specific task, it can free up significant chunks of time for your users. In turn, they can focus on the things that require a human touch while the AI handles the busywork.
Our video highlights and AI Chapters tools are prime examples of this in action. They give users the power to create social media content without the time-consuming hassle.
3. Give them superpowers
Use AI to enable your users to do something they couldn’t do before.
Imagine this: You’re a copywriter, and you need to create a video. In the past, you’d have to rely on a video editor, wait for them to make their edits and go through multiple rounds of revisions. It’s a lengthy, multi-step process that often requires a whole production team.
Now, with AI-powered transcription and text-based editing tools, you can transcribe the video, refine the text, and even create a polished script all by yourself, in just minutes. You’ve gone from a multi-player operation to a one-person powerhouse. That’s the kind of transformation AI makes possible.
This is the core magic of AI: it allows users to tackle tasks that would typically require an entire team, expensive software or specialized skills. Whether it’s transcribing hours of interviews, analyzing massive datasets or generating high-quality content, AI breaks down the barriers that once limited productivity. It gives people the freedom to do more with less.
But AI isn’t only about speeding up workflows. It’s also about opening up new doors. It’s about giving users the tools to achieve things they never thought possible or at least to accomplish them far more easily and efficiently.
AI should be a tool that propels them beyond what they could do yesterday and enables them to hit new milestones. That’s the real power.
Related: Meta Takes on ChatGPT By Releasing a Standalone AI App: ‘A Long Journey’
AI for real impact
When you create AI products that help people achieve their goals faster, more efficiently and with greater skill, you’re not just riding the wave of innovation. You’re shaping the future of how people work and create.
So, if you’re producing an AI tool, take my advice: make sure it’s not just another AI product.
Instead, focus on creating a game-changing solution that makes life easier, faster and more impactful for your users. In this crowded AI landscape, it’s the products that truly bring value that will stand the test of time.