This is a reprint of an article originally published in Fast Company authored by Dag Peak.
In just a few short years since AI exploded onto the scene, it’s already reshaped how we live, work, and connect. But, in reality, we’ve only just begun to understand its potential.
Across every industry, companies are racing to integrate AI into their products, layering intelligence into the tools and experiences people use every day. And while that’s an incredible step forward, it’s only part of the story. AI isn’t just something companies can sell or integrate into their offerings; it’s becoming a core engine for how modern products are built and launched.
We often talk about what AI can do for end users, but there’s an equally powerful opportunity in what it can do for the creators—the engineers, designers, and product teams behind the scenes. In fact, AI is emerging as a critical copilot in two major ways: accelerating processes and go-to-market strategies, and amplifying human capabilities within the teams developing these new tools.
In short, AI isn’t just changing the products we create; it’s changing how we create them, how we test them, and how we bring them to market.
SUPERCHARGE THE PIPELINE
As a product and technology leader, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to help my teams do more, move faster, and innovate without burning out or sacrificing quality. And since AI is already changing the pace and precision of telecommunications’ product development, it’s almost a no-brainer. Companies with massive, complex code bases, for example, can leverage AI to transform everything from coding and testing to design exploration and launch planning. It can help teams simulate scenarios, predict customer responses, and analyze usage data before a feature ever goes live.
It also makes experimentation faster and far less risky. Teams can model adoption, simulate usage scenarios, and evaluate feature impact before anything even reaches the customers. This enables product leaders to make better-informed decisions and shorten iteration cycles across the entire launch process.
Applied thoughtfully, AI enables organizations to learn faster, adapt more efficiently, and bring higher-quality offerings to customers more consistently. It’s a strategic ally for product and technology teams to design, validate, and launch products at unprecedented speed.
FROM BUILDER TO SUPERHERO
The second dimension of AI’s impact is people. Too often, discussions frame AI as a threat to jobs, but that misses the point entirely. AI doesn’t replace humans, it elevates them.
I like to think of it as giving engineers, designers, and product managers a super suit. A protective enhancement that enables them to experiment more boldly, focus on creative problem-solving, and take on complex challenges without being slowed by repetitive tasks. The effect is essentially telco’s version of a radioactive spider bite or the addition of a cybernetic limb: Our development teams learn faster, experiment more, and make more confident decisions.
All of this to say, AI is not a replacement—it’s amplification. It empowers teams to achieve outcomes that would not be possible without augmentation, turning talented teams into high-impact, resilient innovators.
THE PATH TO ACCELERATION AND AUGMENTATION
So how can we start putting this dual opportunity into practice? Three ways stand out to me:
- Treat AI as a teammate, not just a tool. Use it to enhance human capabilities across both product creation and go-to-market planning.
- Invest in processes as much as in the features. AI can transform how products are designed, tested, and launched which ultimately, is impacting the quality and pace at which you’re releasing new solutions.
- Unlearn the fear of failure. Failure brings you freedom, so it’s important to build a culure of psychological safety where it’s safe to try, fail, learn, and iterate. AI moves at the speed of experimentation. Your culture should too.
By embracing these principles, teams can deliver higher-quality products faster, all while growing stronger, more capable, and more innovative. Organizations that tap into this dual approach—leveraging AI to accelerate their product lifecycles and augment their teams—will define the future of innovation.
AI isn’t just changing what we build, it’s transforming how we build it, how we bring it to market, and how far we can push the boundaries of possibility. It’s time to seize the opportunity of AI and unlock faster innovation and a more resilient, empowered workforce.
