The other day, I prompted ChatGPT to generate a product spec for me. I was blown away by the results. This left me wondering whether the profession of product management too, is at risk of being automated by AI.
Here is the prompt and you can see the results for yourself:
With the increasing use of generative AI, many industries are becoming concerned about the potential job loss due to automation capabilities. In the software field, AI can now generate designs, write code, and even compose essays. This naturally leads to questions about the job safety of designers, engineers, and content writers. But what about product managers? Could AI replace them too?
Role of product managers:
Let’s explore this question. To do this, we need to understand the tasks performed by product managers. Common tasks by PMs include conducting user research, defining product goals and priorities, project management, and being a product advocate.
Not everything PMs do is replaceable
Some of these tasks involve human interaction. This necessitates a deep understanding of both the product and the market. Such tasks won’t be fully replaced by AI. For example, it will be impossible to use AI to conduct user research and articulate the team’s mission, vision, and goals. Besides, there is a lot of functional whitespaces that a PM operates in. These are areas such as collaboration with other teams and proactively removing roadblocks. As such, these core tasks may be less susceptible to automation.
However, other tasks, such as project management and writing product specs, could be done by AI. Also, some communication tasks can be automated too. This is assuming that the state of AI will become better over the years.
PMs are safe, for now 🙂
The way it’s going, AI will make it extremely hard for average performers to stay on the job. This applies equally to product management as it does to other creative professions such as design, engineering, and publishing. It’s crucial to monitor the advancements in AI and its applications in product management, as the future is constantly evolving. However, for now, the role of a product manager is secure, as AI can assist with specific tasks but not entirely replace them.