AI in UX: Are we just building faster Feature Factories?

Subtitle: Why faster development doesn’t mean better products and what we should do instead.

AI tools are rapidly entering design workflows. From AI-generated interfaces to "vibe coding," product teams can now create features faster than ever before. But this raises an uncomfortable question: are we simply accelerating the feature factory?

Many organizations are using AI to optimize existing workflows generating screens faster, prototyping faster, and shipping features faster while the underlying product processes remain unchanged. Design systems drift away from component libraries, teams work in silos, and products become increasingly fragmented.

In the session, we step back from individual AI tools and examine the bigger picture: how AI is changing the economics of product development. If building products becomes dramatically faster, the real challenge is no longer development speed but making better product decisions.

Drawing from real-world experience in complex product environments with multiple teams contributing to the same platform, this session explores:
- Why AI-powered design tools alone won’t fix fragmented product development
- How silos between design and engineering create duplicated systems and wasted effort
- Why faster product development can easily lead to worse user experiences
- How UX can shift from producing interfaces to shaping product systems

Participants will leave with a framework for identifying where AI actually creates value in their product processes and where it simply accelerates the feature factory.